Island Of Broken Memories
by reddwarfaddict
Summary: Sequel to Lector Manor. :D The Doctor is sick and soon they find out he's been infected with a fatal poison, which is now spreading across the stars. Can they find the antidote in time to save him and the Universe? TenRose, Jack. DoctorWhump.
1. Prologue

**A/N: **Disclaimer: It's gosh darn unfair!

I think, if I remember right, two people said no for a sequel and the rest were postive - so...here! Have it! An obscenely long prologue I fear, but that's typical me.

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Prologue

_The ship was in motion._

_The Doctor slowly began to lift from the tangles of an uncomfortable sleep, feeling the slightest bit seasick from the constant motion of the ship on the waves._

_He slowly opened sleep-ridden eyes ever so slightly, coming around to find himself staring into a mess of soft blonde hair. Furthermore, his right arm was curled around the body of another, protecting them from outside dangers. Her name was Rose Tyler: pretty, fun and intuitive – and at the present moment wrapped in his trenchcoat sleeping away the night._

_He sighed contentedly, closing his eyes once more and shifting his arm a little to a stronger position. He heard Rose's breathing rhythm change ever so slightly with it as she fumbled unconsciously for his grip once more, obviously lost without it._

_Bunk space aboard the ship "__**Overdrive**__" was distinctly limited, which was why they were sharing the only non-bumpy/broken bunk surface together. Not that the Doctor needed sleep, no. Rose had been slightly anxious about sleeping on her own on a strange boat with a dirty male crew that hadn't seen a woman for ten years, so the Doctor had settled with her whilst Jack Harkness stayed on deck, playing Captain._

_Save for the odd call of the deckhands or creak of the ship as it swayed on the waves, everything was still and silent._

_That was until:_

"_Pirates!!!"_

_The word spread like wildfire across the open deck and it took Jack mere seconds to burst into the sleeping quarters of the ship, waking Rose with a start and the Doctor even more so as he sat up straight, colliding with the hard wooden roof of the bunk accompanied with a loud 'thud!'._

"_Jack, what the he-" Rose started to speak, but was instantly cut off._

"_Pirates!" He dived forward to the confused girl and pulled her strongly to her feet. Instantly the ship swayed to the right as the deckhands tried in vain to shake off the pursuit of the pirates. Jack held onto Rose by her waist as the Doctor staggered onto unsteady feet, just about keeping his balance by holding onto the bunk rivets._

_There was the sudden sound of splintering and cracking wood and the Doctor instantly knew harpoons were currently being driven into the side of the ship. He turned immediately to the cabin door, wrenching it open and bounding quickly forwards to the ladder leading up to the deck._

_He climbed up as quietly as he could, pushing up the trapdoor ever so slightly to see what was happening above their heads. Through the gloom of the foggy night air he could see perhaps two-dozen pirate-dressed unwashed men threatening the crew with sharp-pointed swords. Bodies hit the floor as the pirates' patience gave out and they turned their ravenous attentions towards him._

_He shut the trapdoor, and bolted it._

_He fell back into the bunk room, shutting the door hard behind him and making sure all the bolts were done up as securely as possible – although even he knew it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference. He didn't even glance up at Jack and Rose, instead diving straight to where a half tattered unwashed rug sat on the boarded floor. He threw it back, feeling along the boards expertly for a few seconds, before digging his nails into a ridge of some sort and pulling it open. Beneath there was a hollow compartment that served as some sort of secret stash holder, a rectangular shape just big enough for one person to curl up into._

_The Doctor and Jack guided Rose into it, helping her down. She looked up at the Doctor as she curled into a ball, her eyes wide with fear and confusion._

"_Rose, stay still, " he whispered lowly to her, extending a hand and brushing over her cheek for comfort. "Don't make a sound. If they find you I'll never forgive myself." He could hear the sound of bloodthirsty pirates screaming taunts as they broke through the trapdoor from the deck._

_The Doctor gave her one last grin, and closed the compartment door. With Jack's help they threw the wrecked rug over the area is had originally taken, and together they turned to face the door._

_Mere seconds later it burst open in a mighty crash and the Doctor and Jack were immediately overwhelmed by the smell of dirt and sweat as an entire crowd of pirates toppled into the room. The Doctor's arms were wrenched roughly behind his back as he felt something cold and sharp rest against his throat, a filthy hand grabbing his hair and wrenching his head back._

"_Cap'n!" one said in a pirate's voice as another, much more dignified then the other swayed into the room as though he owned the place. "These be th' swabbies th' crew be talkin' about!"_

"_Thank ye, I can be seein' that," the apparent 'Captain' answered his crewmember. "Now, both o' ye, I'm told by yer crew thar be a young lass hidin' somewhere on this ship - a lass I would very much like th' company o' - an' I'm told ye're th' men t' ask."_

_Jack risked a glance at the Doctor, who put on a frown of confusement._

"_There's nay girl on th' 'Overdrive' Cap'n," the Doctor started in his best 'pirate voice'. "Tho me matey Jack here tends t' be a wee girly at times. We've had nay girl here fer what...ten voyages?"_

"_Aye, Doctor – ten voyages! Me giblets be in decline!" Jack replied with a grin, but his eyes widened as the pirate holding the sword against the Doctor's throat lifted it to his cheek, pressing ever so slightly down on the blade. A line of blood trickled down the blade of the sword and dripped to the floor, the Doctor taking in a sharp breath as the acute pain shot through his now wounded cheek._

"_I dasn't like swabbies who waste me time," he grunted, "I ha'en't seen a lass in fifteen voyages now tell me 'ere she be, or I be floggin' th' both o' ye!"_

"_Obviously haven't seen a shower in fifteen voyages either," the Doctor muttered under his breath, prompting the grip on his hands to be tightened to shoulder popping point._

"_Take them t' th' deck – let's be seein' if they decide t' talk when they walks th' plank."_

_Jack immediately felt himself being dragged roughly across the floor of the room, Rose abandoned as he was pushed up the ladder on the open deck. Someone else restrained him and dragged him over to the adjoining pirate ship, towards the mast pole with ropes wrapping around his wrists to tie him to the pole._

_He watched as the Doctor was also dragged out and over, hauled roughly towards the plank sitting ready in wait in the darkness of the night. Two pirates wrenched his arms by his sides and tied a long rope around him, making sure his arms couldn't move. If he fell in the water he wouldn't be able to swim._

_A sword was drawn and pointed at the Doctor's chest, gesturing for him to move backwards along the plank. He obliged warily, just about risking a glance at Jack before he backed along the thin wooden board seven metres above sea level. He stopped at the end, hair ruffling in the wind._

"_Do ye want t' tell me 'ere th' lass be?" the Captain questioned, and the Doctor gave him a friendly grin. _

"_No thanks," he answered. _

"_Any last words?" the Captain asked, and the Doctor's eyes seemed to remain fixed on his, not even moving his gaze. Understandably, the Captain became unnerved._

"_Yes, actually," the Doctor said cheerily, nodding to a point over the Captain's shoulder. "Look behind you."_

_Before the Captain even had a chance to consider what he'd said, he suddenly felt something cold rest against the back of his head._

"_Hands up, m'hearty," Rose said with a grin, pressing the musket to the back of the Captain's skull. "Let them go or I'll decorate this ship with an interestin' new colour called 'hint of brain'…" – she caught the Doctor's bewildered look – "…saw it on Blackadder." She shrugged._

"_Oh!" the Doctor exclaimed, nodding. He looked around at the crew, starting to feel slightly unbalanced on the wooden plank straining to hold his weight now. They were obviously confused by this new occurrence, before the Captain spoke over all of them. _

"_What be ye waitin' fer? Do as she says!"_

_Jack was freed from his ropes by the nearest sword-wielding crewmember to which Jack took the liberty of relieving his sword, making his way through the crowd to the Doctor who was now back on hard ground. With one slash of the sword point the ropes dropped to the floor and the Doctor launched out to another pirate bystander, taking his sword also._

"_How 'bout you just let us go back to our ship, and leave us alone?" the Doctor proposed to the intimidated crew._

"_Not without th'…" the Captain suddenly swung around to Rose completely startling both her and her companions, the musket suddenly taken from her already loose grasp as a mud-clad hand clamped over her mouth, the musket now pointing towards the Doctor and Jack._

_Then, before either of them knew what was happening, the crew turned on them._

_Jack gave the battle cry and instantly launched out with his sword to the pirate crew now gathered around him, the Doctor following suit as he tried to make his way towards Rose without hurting anyone. It was seemingly impossible as several shots rang out in his direction, narrowly missing him but the swords were a little more precise; though still no match for his agility. He swung out his sword in order to clear his path, ending up lacerating quite a few pirates in their efforts to block his path._

"_DOCTOR!" Rose screamed in his ears as he reached them both, launching off of his feet to her and the Captain and diving onto them. Rose was quickly helped up by Jack as the Captain and the Doctor fought with each other, rolling around in the floor to try and gain the upper hand on each other._

_A humungous wind suddenly issued a loud groan from the tied ships, the weight of their original boat pulling on the pirates' and dragging it downwards. Rose screamed out once more as Jack disappeared from her side to fight the last of the pirates still remaining, the Doctor grabbing the dropped musket from the already bloodstained deck and pointing it back towards the Captain, getting onto his feet as he stared down at his helpless prize before him._

"_Last chance," the Doctor called as the last of the pirates toppled to the floor, Jack instantly resuming his place beside Rose and holding her in protection._

_The Captain didn't speak; instead he clambered to his feet and looked sideward at the girl standing still in the night air, one word on his lips:_

"_Wench."_

_The Doctor fumed, and pulled the trigger with a perfect aim. Breathing heavily the Doctor looked up at Rose, eyes dark and still full of hatred for the man he'd just executed. The musket dropped to the floor with a thud, the object instantly submitting to the Laws of Physics and fell down the slanted deck, dropping to the deck of the other ship below._

_Then everything happened so fast the Doctor was sure he could have done nothing about it, even if he had known about it before. Evidently Jack had missed a member of the crew, who had taken the time to pop down to the ship's cargo stores and take a free box of gunpowder._

_Rose could only watch in Jack's arms as the pirate lit the gunpowder – and everything exploded._

_Rose and Jack fell unconscious instantly, the blast throwing their helpless bodies smashing through the wooden fence of the ship and scattering into the sea below. The Doctor was sent careering over the fence and onto the deck below of the other ship, hitting it with a force that this time took him out cold. He slid down the deck and toppled over the railing into the sea, plunging down into the dark depths of coldness._

_**Level 1: Complete!**_

_**Loading…**_

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**A/N: **So wha' ye be thinkin' m'hearties? All will be explained in due time of course..._**  
**_


	2. Hello Goodbye

**A/N: **Thankies for first reviews! I replied to most of them I think except the more recent ones...wow, it's becoming my trademark :P

For those that didn't read the prequel, do not fear! I have explained all! (Triumphant music)

**EDIT: **I'm renaming select chapter titles to song titles! This one is "Hello Goodbye" by The Beatles, not too hard to guess why XD _"You say goodbye...and I say hello! (Hello, goodbye, hello, goodbye!) Hello, hello! (Hello, goodbye!) I don't know why you say goodbye I say 'hello'...(Hello goodbye, hello goodbye!)"_

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Chapter 1 – Hello Goodbye

The Doctor was sat on the sofa in the sitting room of Jackie Tyler's flat staring blankly at the television as though he were a zombie, the pictures flicking on the screen but not registering in his mind. His eyes were glazed over as he sat limply in position, feeling something (Most likely the remote) poking uncomfortably into the small of his back – but he felt too bored and tired to move himself or it.

Beside him his young human companion nattered on and on to her mother about the recent events in the TARDIS – which had basically been pretty normal (Well, as normal as things could be with the Doctor) apart from the incident with Жemnas – seemingly never stopping to take a breath. She found it a necessity to describe their every move right down to the syllable, occasionally encouraging his input by nudging him in the side to which he responded with a well pitched groan.

His head pulsated with a dim yet prominent headache, and truth be told he felt pretty nauseous – and that wasn't just Jackie's homemade meat loaf. For months he'd been feeling on a low, though it seemed to get worse with every passing week. He reasoned with himself it was just a passing bug, thinking no more of it.

He tilted his head to the side a bit, moving his gaze from the average daytime television show to the squeaky-clean pane of a window set across the room from him. He could see a good view of London from here, even if it was just buildings and not any particularly renowned landmarks. His acute vision could see the balcony of another flat block around half a mile away, squinting to register a sunbathing female who didn't believe in bikinis.

He decided, rather abruptly, to look away.

He tilted his head to the side even more, finding a comfortable position to rest in. He knew he shouldn't but he let his eyelids drop for just a moment, listening to only the tone of Rose's voice – not her words. It was soothing, like a lullaby, and he was _actually _quite tired…

"…And that was about it there, we didn't bother sayin' goodbye," Rose finished up her story with a grin, squeezing the Doctor's hand in her own expecting a response of some kind, but she didn't get it.

She turned, his name passing her lips in a questioning tone as her Time Lord best friend registered in her vision. He was slumped against the back of the sofa with his eyes closed, not making a sound but quite obviously asleep. His chest rose and fell in balanced synchronisation with his eyes flickering beneath their eyelids, in midst of a half-sleep dream. Rose smiled at the sight, exchanging an amused glance with her mother who was already rising to her feet.

"Wow, I didn't know 'e slept," Jackie said quietly, understandingly surprised. Rose shrugged.

"He slept last night, I know he did. Must be knackered."

Jackie regarded the alien for a moment, moving over to him and taking a closer look. "'E looks a little pale sweetheart, been overexhaustin' himself 'as 'e?"

"Didn't know he could," Rose admitted with a grin, watching the Doctor squeak slightly in his sleep and shift a little towards her. "Looks kinda cute, though."

"I'll get more tea on," Jackie said helpfully, resting her hand on the Doctor's leg to pull herself up onto her feet. Instantly the Doctor jerked awake and sat up straight, eyes flying open as he panted for air, fists raised in self-defence.

"Alright Tyson, I'm not gonna kill ya!" Jackie said, slightly startled by his sudden movement. He blinked; still half-asleep as he lowered his clenched fists, looking over at Rose.

"You're done?" he asked, sounding hopeful. Rose nodded, smiling. Within two seconds the Doctor had bounded onto his feet and was already making a beeline to the front door, down to the TARDIS on the street below. "Well, allons-y then Rose, places to go, people to see." He extended a quick hand to Jackie, hopping impatiently from foot to foot. "It's been fun Jackie, we'll see you again soon, eh?"

Jackie blinked, ever so slightly confused as she shook his hand. "Yep."

"Come on Rose, say toodles to your mum!" the Doctor sauntered towards the front door, waving a hand over his shoulder. Rose and Jackie were still both watching him as he suddenly stopped a metre short of the exit, swaying slightly on his feet. Rose saw it coming before it happened as the Doctor immediately lost all self control and collapsed sideways in a dead faint, hitting the wall with a 'thump' before sliding unconscious into a heap of disorderly limbs on the floor.

Rose looked sideways at her mum, giving a small shrug.

"More tea?" Jackie proposed.

* * *

**Two months earlier…**

The Doctor was grinning manically to himself as he gave his young human companion Rose Tyler a playful shove, the both of them trudging down Main Street on the planet Zodonia, gaming central of the entire Universe. Every direction you turned there was some kind of console or game standing in your way, and whether it was coincidence or possible evolution most of the creatures that formed the population here looked partly Japanese.

They were heading back to the Жemnas Gaming Complex to see how Jhutsu was coping with the downfall of _Time Catcher; _the demand for refunds would be through the roof since its demise, due solely to Jhutsu and Rose.

Жemnas had captured the Doctor and kept him in a comatose state for no less than three months, using his body and mind to create the main character of the revolutionary computer game _Time Catcher, _the element of realism surpassing anything Zodonia had ever seen before.

In _Time Catcher _the player was led to believe the scenario was real, their entire self wired into machinery and the ability to enter the game with the Doctor standing solid next to them, the scenery around them totally touchable and reactive. It was like walking into a television screen and living inside the set.

But _Time Catcher _had been a façade right from the word 'go'. '**You be the companion!**' it boomed in bright bold black letters atop a promotional poster, the Doctor's CGI double accurate to every detail smiling back at the observer. Even as the Doctor and Rose walked through the Zodonian street now people were taking them down, aswell as plastic statues and billboards. Toy merchandise had even come into the market since Rose had first found where the Doctor was, trapped in a glass cage in the centre of Жemnas' complex, sleeping away his life in a drug-induced coma.

It wasn't until Rose had been able to enter the game and, with the help of Jhutsu, had closed it down from within did the rule of _Time Catcher _come to an end. The Doctor had escaped the prison with only a moderate injury to his shoulder currently in a sling, the horror that was his CGI life finally coming to an end.

Жemnas was imprisoned for assault to the Time Lord and Jhutsu had assumed responsibility over the _Time Catcher _booking and refunds.

Rose shoved the Doctor back, unknowingly hitting him right where his wound on his arm was – three scratches in parallel obtained from his experience in _Time Catcher. _They had started bleeding again shortly after he'd got changed back in the TARDIS around ten minutes ago, but Rose had quickly sorted that out.

"Oh sorry," she said quickly with a grin, rubbing his arm soothingly as she noticed where she'd hit. He didn't let his pain show, merely force a smile down at her, implying he didn't even feel it. It was a minor injury and it never even happened. That was what his take on the matter was anyway.

They passed through the glass reception doors to the desk within, walking straight up to the alien sat behind filling in paperwork. The entire place was empty from the events earlier, whether they had left by choice or evacuation Rose and the Doctor weren't sure.

"Hello," the Doctor said brightly, attracting the attention of the alien behind reception instantly, his five eyes widening at the being currently standing infront of him as though he were an illusion – or perhaps a computer game character.

"Doctor?" he asked, a little nervously.

"That's me, you reckon we could have a little chit-chat with Jhutsu Porther?"

"I'll just check sir," he said, pressing a button on an intercom just across his desk. Instantly a recognisable voice replied:

"_Amrok?"_

"Two people in reception requesting to see a 'Jhutsu Porther', the Doctor and a girl called Rose."

"_Send them up."_

Amrok released the intercom button, raising his hand to point at the '**STAFF ONLY**' door on the right.

"Through that door and up the stairs sir, ma'am." The Doctor thanked him, turning with Rose to follow the instructions before the voice of Amrok started up again, "oh, and…sir?"

The Doctor turned once more with raised eyebrows to Amrok, who seemed to be fiddling with his pen nervously.

"Can I just apologise on behalf of the Жemnas Gaming Corporation on what happened to you. If I had known what was going on…"

The Doctor interrupted him before he could utter another word.

"Oh, I think you did," he said darkly, the grin gone and replaced with a hard, unforgiving expression. After what seemed like hours to Amrok he finally turned and disappeared through the door, Rose in tow.

Amrok fled, guilty as charged.

The Doctor reached the door first, reaching out with his uninjured arm and pushing open the office door still labelled '**Zender Жemnas**' on a golden plate. Instantly Jhutsu looked up at them both, a smile etching on his face from their grins. He got up onto both feet, extending a hand to shake.

"Oh don't be so formal," the Doctor said, waving an uncaring hand and dropping freely into an available chair infront of previously Жemnas' desk, looking around as he lunged for the beverage on the table. The office was just as he expected, half painted on one side, messy and technological. Sort of like Жemnas had started painting the room on an almost empty tin, in the hope of someday finishing it. A hopeful room for a hopeful man.

Across the room the Doctor could see a bank of monitors, presumably cameras around the complex. One camera showed an aerial view of the glass pod he had been sealed in now half smashed and red with his own blood, sectioned off by police tape for further investigation. Another had the words, '**NO SIGNAL**´ across the screen which he did right to presume was the _Time Catcher _in-game display, now without a feed.

He cast his gaze down to Жemnas' desk, spotting for the first time tens of photos of himself strewn across the desk in a mess. Obviously someone had taken the liberty of spying on him – Rassilon only knew how'd they managed to miss Rose.

"How's the arm?" Jhutsu's voice suddenly rang out, breaking his thought trail.

"It's nothing," the Doctor answered casually, seeing Rose's reaction of the rapid shake of her head in the Drink's Cabinet glass pane. "Nurse Tyler here makes _waaaaaaay _too much fuss."

Rose smiled gently, ignoring him. "We came to see how you were doing."

Jhutsu shook his head, regretfully. "Not good, I'm afraid. Everyone's moaning that they 'paid good money to see you' and asking if they could meet you anyway…"

"I know, I'm awesome," he said, without making any attempt to disguise his ego.

"Plus there are no offerings for manager now Жemnas has stepped down…" The Doctor snapped alert, looking up at Jhutsu as did Rose behind him, the most obvious answer staring him right in the face. Jhutsu seemed not to notice the two staring at him. "I mean, no one's willing to do it because they think the whole project's cursed…whoever takes it over is gonna have to redo _everything…"_

The Doctor coughed ever so lightly, and Jhutsu finally registered him.

"What?"

They both just stared at him. He blinked.

"…Wha…?" Then he realised. "Muh…muh…me?"

The Doctor nodded, expression set.

Jhutsu could hardly get the words out, "but…but…but…I don't even have a name for the complex."

"Make one up!" the Doctor said obviously.

Jhutsu half smiled, looking around the room for influence before his eyes finally set on Rose, still sitting back in the chair.

"The Tyler Gaming Complex," he finally said, giving Rose a huge grin.

"Not _too _cliché then," the Doctor said, taking one last gulp of Jhutsu's drink as he too grinned broadly, getting onto his feet. "We'd better make tracks Rose, TARDIS needs refuelling – she's been running full pelt for three months solid," he said, not wanting to admit he was tired.

"Gotcha," she said, bounding onto her feet beside him and looking back to Jhutsu. "Take care, now."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," the Doctor said, turning to the door to head back to the TARDIS, leaving Jhutsu to his own collective thoughts.


	3. If I Were Gay

**A/N: **Haha, I wondered how long it would take you to realise. Yep, I'm the Doctor torturer. If you check all my DW fics almost all of them injure or incapacitate him in some way XD Long Meaningful Ramble 2 is definately an example. That was probably where he got tortured the most...concussion, cuts bruise and got shot through the head? C'mon, that's obscene! But wait till Ramble 3 kicks in...oh ho ho, you're gonna hate me.

Here's the next chapter. Dream team is still Jack, Ten and Rose. NO ONE ROB ME OF MY DREAM!

**EDIT: **I'm renaming select chapter titles to song titles! This one is "If I Were Gay" by Stephen Lynch, in respects of the lovely Captain Jack Harkness and Doctor. It's a v. funny song XD _"Coz if I were gay, I would give you my soul! And if I were gay I would give you my whole...being! And if I were gay, we would tear down the walls! But I'm not gay...so won't you stop cupping my ba...hand!"_

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Chapter 2 – If I Were Gay  


"'As 'e been eatin' properly?" was Jackie's first question as Rose sat down next to the unconscious Time Lord, now strewn out on the sofa as though someone had just thrown him carelessly onto it – which wasn't too far off of the truth.

"I'm not really sure, he's just been makin' me dinner and sayin' he ate earlier," Rose answered, dabbing his forehead gently with a cold flannel as she tried to make him a little more straight on the sofa.

"'E's thin enough already, needsa coupla burgers down 'im…" she said loudly, but then paused, frowning. "Wait a minute, did you just say 'e _cooks?"_

Rose chose to ignore her mother for the moment, letting her free hand travel down from his face to his tie, loosening it. She rested the back of her hand on his cheek, wincing at the surge of heat that spread through. Any hotter and she'd have to strip him down…

"Bev's comin' over tonight, 'e can't stay 'ere."

"Why not?" Rose demanded, instantly whipping her head around to pierce her mother with vengeful eyes. "He's sick, mum!"

Jackie tried to avoid the accusing gaze for as long as she could. "What if it's some kind of contagious alien disease?" she pointed out, validly.

"Please mum, he's just like you and me, not somethin' off of a science-fiction TV show. He just needs rest and bit of TLC," Rose said, maintaining that awful eye contact with Jackie, now throwing in a bit of scowling for effect.

The phone rang.

"Saved by the bell," Jackie breathed, turning from the stare to pick up the phone just behind where she stood. "Hello?"

Rose rolled her eyes, turning away from her and back to the Doctor. Fortunately he'd not hit anything _too _hard on his demise, no markings present apart from two small bruises on his right cheekbone and temple to indicate his impact with the wall. She thoughtfully traced a thumb over the one on his cheek.

"Rose?"

"Hmm?" She looked up from her thought trail, seeing her mum gesturing to the phone in her other hand. Sighing at the ill-placed call, she got up from beside the Doctor and trudged unwillingly over.

"Hello?"

_"Hello."_

"Hello…"

Alarm bells started ringing inside her head. She recognised the voice, the voice from what seemed so long ago…but it couldn't be. No. She couldn't let her hopes get up.

"Who is it?" she tried tentively, smiling at a lost memory.

"_You don't recognise the voice of Cap'n Jack Harkness, Mr. Universe?"_

Rose blinked.

"_Err…Rose?" _came his voice again after a ten second pause. _"Still alive?"_

"J…Jack?" she stuttered out, tripping over her own tongue in the rush to get out her words out. "Oh my God! Where are you?"

"_Umm, right now…I'm standin' outside your front door."_

Wordlessly with her jaw agape, Rose walked over to the front door, resting an obscenely nervous hand on it.

She pulled it open.

And stared at thin air.

"Umm…Jack?" she started, poking her head out the open door. "Whosever door you're standin' infront of, it ain't mine."

"_Oh," _came the dumb reply, but within seconds there was the rush of stampeding footsteps and Rose suddenly found Jack Harkness staring back at her, all pearly white teeth present and correct with his mobile still pressed to one ear. He raised his free hand, and gave a wave.

Rose's phone was lost as it hit the carpeted hallway floor with a thud, throwing herself onto Jack in a mega-hug with the both of them grinning.

"The Doctor in?" Jack asked as they parted, mobile swiftly disappearing back into his coat pocket.

"Yeah," Rose started slowly, Jack staring at her, urging her to finish her sentence. "He's a bit…" She struggled for the word, "…fainted."

"Fainted…" Jack repeated, sliding past Rose into the sitting room where the Doctor still lay messily across the sofa. He had a flannel draped over his forehead from where Rose had left it but a minute or so ago, a couple of bruises on a thin, young looking face with a mess of brown hair currently all over the place on his head, sideburns adding to his sex appeal. He was thinner, his ears and nose had shrunk and he currently wore a brown pinstriped suit and long overcoat.

Jack didn't waste any time on the trivial matter that the Doctor currently seemed to be someone else completely, instead jogging over to the sofa – not even registering Jackie – and thoroughly checking him over.

"What's wrong with him?" Rose asked as she knelt down next to Jack by the Doctor's head.

"He fainted? Can you tell me how?"

Rose nodded. "I was just talkin' to mum, we finished up and noticed he'd fallen asleep. We planned to leave him but he got accidentally woken up – started actin' really hyper. He started to the front door but then he stopped, and then collapsed sideways, hit the wall." She gestured to the bruises, making a point.

"Rose, for _anyone _to faint is bad – for a Time Lord to, it's even worse."

"In non-cryptic?" Rose asked vaguely.

"He's probably just caught a passin' bug, how long's he been like this for?"

She shrugged, truly clueless. "C'mon Jack, you _know _he wouldn't tell anyone if he had a bloody cannonball lodged in his brain."

Jack nodded, acknowledging her point. "He's got a fever, we gotta keep it down." He gestured to himself, grinning like a loon and picking a casual glance around the flat room. "And since I'm the only guy in here, looks like I'm the only person qualified to take his clothes off."

Rose smiled a little, silently turning with her mum to go into the kitchen.

Jack looked back down at the Time Lord, taking off the flannel still draped across his forehead and tossing it onto the coffee table. He slipped his right arm around his back and sat him up, prising off his coat, swiftly followed by his jacket and then converses. It was then he decided to cut the rubbish and go straight for the trousers. He reached up to the waist of them, understandably eager to get on with it before a sudden voice interrupted his movement:

"I hope you're not planning to undo that Harkness."

Jack sighed loudly, making his disappointment apparent as he let go of the Doctor's trousers. "Your timin' is crap, y'know that?"

The Doctor grinned at him, deep brown eyes staring back at his own two. "I thought it was perfect."

"Well you would…" Jack muttered in reply, getting up and staring down at the Time Lord on the sofa, arms folded.

"Jack?" came Rose's voice suddenly from the kitchen across the room. "What's goin' on?" she appeared in the doorway to the room, munching on a piece of jam-laden bread. She spotted the Doctor sitting up precariously on the couch, dressed in a shirt, socks and trousers. Evidently Jack had been robbed of his fun from the mopey expression on his face – but Rose was already hugging the Doctor tight before he had a chance to blink.

"Feelin' better?" she asked, cramming the last of the bread into her gob and chewing rapidly. He nodded and pulled away from her, smiling.

"Did I faint?" he asked after a moment, and she nodded for a reply.

"Sort of went dizzy, then passed out."

The Doctor hid his sigh. He knew he should've seen this coming. He was so hot and felt sick – if he'd started passing out now this was starting to get serious. He had to tell them before it got too late he knew, but he didn't want to…

He pulled at his collar to let out some of the heat, undoing a button before drawing up his shirtsleeves to his elbows, untucking his shirt for more air. He needed an ice cold bath, desperately.

Rose was watching him, unaware of the conflict going on inside his mind.

"We'd better get back to the TARDIS, mum doesn't want you here," she said loudly, more as a lethal jibe at her mother for her heartlessness than actual want.

"No, no…" Jackie suddenly interrupted, and for the first time since Jack arrived into the flat he noticed the middle-aged woman standing in the kitchen doorway.

"Well _hello…" _Jack started surreptitiously, giving her a charismatic wink. "You must be Mrs. Tyler…"

"Stop it…" the Doctor warned lowly, easing himself around on the sofa to get onto his feet.

"No it's okay Doctor…" she said in possibly the most soft voice he'd ever heard her speak in. "I don't mind…"

Rose giggled as the Doctor stuck two fingers in his mouth, miming retching at the pure sickness of the situation. He braced himself as he rested both hands on the edge of his seat, pushing himself up. He instantly regretted it as he was suddenly overcome with dizziness and nausea, collapsing forwards towards the floor once more.

Jack dived forwards to help him, just about catching him before he hit the ground.

"Whoa, take it easy," Jack said, uprighting and steadying him.

"Thanks," the Doctor muttered, taking a step away from Jack and shaking himself over as though he were a shaggy dog. "Sorry."

Jackie suddenly stepped forward towards him, holding out a pair of pyjamas.

"Here, get changed into these," she ordered more than proposed, shoving the pyjamas into his chest so he was forced to take them.

"Why?" he asked dumbly.

"Sweetheart I'm not lettin' you out that front door 'til you can get up without faintin'."

"Jackie, please…" the Doctor started, but she swiftly cut him off once more.

"No arguments mister, go and get changed now or you'll get a slappin'."

Jack and Rose watched on amusement and he turned, and fled into the bathroom.


	4. A Wee Bit Sick

**A/N: **Tch! That's all I have to say about my life at the moment. Tch! TCH!!

The title of my chapter is delicated to my optician. I did an eye appointment today and she said I was a "wee bit short-sighted" (She was Scottish) so she gave me some trial glasses to use for distance, which allow me to count how many germs are on the seat of a chair ten metres away. No, I'm serious. They're _really _uneeded unless I want to become Supervision Woman. Still. Makes me realise how many spots are on a guy before I hit on him.

* * *

Chapter 3 – A Wee Bit Sick 

The Doctor felt like an idiot laying under a duvet in a makeshift bed on the sofa at 4:00pm in the afternoon, dressed in pyjamas with his temperature now back down to where it belonged at the normal body temperature of a Time Lord. Jack and Rose where making themselves useful to Jackie and he was left watching the Teletubbies having a mass orgy for the twentieth time that episode.

There was a sudden ringing at the door, and the Doctor on instinct made to get up and answer it. Within seconds he heard Jackie's bark of disapproval at his movement, and he sank back down dejectedly under the covers.

"Bev!" Jackie's voice rang out, and the Doctor winced, sliding even further down. This was _all_ he needed.

"Jackie darlin', what's cookin'? That smells lush!"

The Doctor slid even further down as he heard them enter the room, hoping to death that they'd completely miss him and disappear into the kitchen.

They didn't.

"Aww, who's this 'andsome young man Jackie sweetheart?" Someone stepped over him, and he instantly pretended to be asleep.

"Friend of Rose's," Jackie's voice replied loudly. "Not well, the poor thing."

"Been to the doctors?"

"Yep," Jackie replied shortly, obviously unable to find anything else to say on the matter.

"Give you anythin'?"

"Just said it was a passin' bug."

The voice seemed to be getting louder and more high-pitched with every sentence. "Oooo, doctors! What'd they know, eh? It's probably food. 'E been eatin' the right foodstuff? Never can tell these days. Did ya 'ear Jackie darlin', Darren went to Spain and got food poisonin' from a tortilla! 'Eard 'e got a lotta money for it too!"

The Doctor knew he'd have to feign waking up soon; else Jackie would have a go at him later. No one in the Universe could possibly sleep through the racket this woman was making – even the inhabitants of Kor'Mor wouldn't be able to live with this for more than a minute…and they didn't have any ears.

Reluctantly, he eased open his eyes to the world outside – dreading what he would see. He winced as he saw it, a lady obviously Jackie's age with a little more weight, a ton of make up plastered all over her face as if she thought it made her beautiful. He'd seen many strange and ugly creatures in the Universe, but never quite like this one. He wanted to close his eyes again, his headache thudding behind his eyes that made it even more painful to look at her.

"Oh blimey I'm sorry sweetheart, did I wake ya up?"

_You bloody would've if I was asleep! _"No, no, not at all."

"D'you need anythin'?"

"No, I'm okay thanks. I'm just tired."

"Been sleepin' all day, 'aven't ya love?" Jackie stated more than asked, tucking the cover in around him. He silently pleaded for a way out of this as he nodded, closing his eyes again as a hint for them to leave him alone.

They didn't.

"Ooo 'e doesn't look well, does 'e? Sweet old Dolly, God rest 'er soul, she looked like this the day before she died."

That was _all _he needed to hear.

"Bev," came a very welcomed voice from the kitchen doorway, "leave him alone would ya?"

"Aww Rose sweetheart, 'ello," Bev's voice said loudly, and he heard crashing footsteps walk away from him and to the kitchen. He breathed out a contented sigh of relief. "'Ow are ya?"

"Oh, same old," she answered casually, and he heard a pair of lighter footsteps that could only be Rose coming towards him. He opened his eyes to look up at her face, to find she was frowning slightly.

"What?" he asked innocently. She reached out, pulling up the cover a little more around him.

"She's right, you look even worse than earlier. You're supposed to be gettin' better y'know, not makin' your way to Death's Door."

"I'm fine, really," he insisted, making to get up to prove her wrong. He used her and the sofa to pushed himself up, much to Rose's protest. Within seconds he was on his feet, beaming broadly at her. "See? I'm perfectly…"

He trailed off in mid-sentence, and collapsed forward onto her.

"Jack! He's fainted again!" Rose called, struggling under the Doctor's weight.

"Geez, stubborn git," Jack said as he came in from the kitchen to the living room – spotting the extra person but not making any advances on her – obviously even Jack had his standards. He crossed over to Rose holding the bedraggled Doctor and picked him up, putting him back down on the sofa before drawing up the covers.

"When he comes 'round _no one _lets him get up, okay?" he commanded the group gathered within the flat. "We'll chain him to it if we have to but he doesn't move until we find out what's wrong with him."

* * *

The Doctor awoke to a silent, dark flat. 

It took him a moment to recall his memories, but then he dimly remembered the dizziness, and the blackness bulldozing through his head. He must have fainted again. This was just getting ridiculous.

He could hear soft breathing from somewhere in the room near him, turning his head to see Rose laying on the sofa he unoccupied, wrapped in a vibrant pink duvet he knew had been dragged from her room.

He smiled at the sight, before suddenly wincing at a violent slash of pain cutting through his skull. The headache was back, and with a vengeance.

He lay there for a few moments, just watching Rose as the duvet covering her rose and fell in synchronisation with her breathing.

And then he began to feel that nausea again.

He only just about stopped himself from groaning out loud, truly wanting this to be over so they could get out of here and back to travelling – Jack with them – but he already knew why he was like this. It had nothing to do with an infection, but everything to do with Zender Жemnas.

He would have to tell Jack and Rose sometime, he knew. But he couldn't, not yet. He wasn't ready.

But then his stomach started to boil and bubble within, something building up inside that he could feel travelling slowly but surely up his throat – and he instantly knew he was going to be sick.

Going as slowly yet hastily as he could, he threw back the duvet and got up off of the sofa onto two feet. With seconds the flash of dizziness that was now to be expected hit him, and he dropped rather gracefully onto all fours. Determining this was probably the only way to move around without collapsing, he began to crawl forwards towards the kitchen, his headache threatening to overwhelm him and rob him of his vision, but he forced his eyes to stay open.

He struggled to the sink from the kitchen doorway, almost falling sideways into the cupboard but he managed to keep himself steady. He reached up to the edge of the worktop, using it to pull himself up as far as possible and frantically search for the sink.

He eventually found it, hands gripping onto the taps as he stuck his head into the sink and closed his eyes.

Sure enough, out it all came pouring.

He twisted the taps to drain it all away as he continued to bring it all up, coughing and spluttering loudly. No doubt he was going to wake everyone up.

He wasn't wrong. Seconds later he heard the reassuring tone of Rose's comforting words behind him, a warm hand rubbing on his back whilst he continued to throw up.

It wasn't until he heard Rose's comforting tone turn to confusement did he dare to open his eyes, seeing for the first time what he was actually throwing up. Vomit, he was pretty sure, was _not _supposed to be blue and glowing.

Everyone was in the room now and he could hear their frantic tones ringing in his ears. He didn't need this…

Someone was supporting him around the waist, and he could feel it was finally coming to an end after what seemed so long. He took in a deep breath, collapsing against the person holding him as he was suddenly overcome with weakness.

"I gotcha Doctor," Jack said, pulling the weak Time Lord across the kitchen floor and lowering him carefully into a chair.

"Rose," the Doctor gasped, opening his eyes and reaching out his shaky hand to grasp anything, his hands searching out Rose like a baby's search to cling to their mother. "Жemnas…it's… Жemnas…"

"What?" Rose asked, confused as Jack and Jackie looked at her expectedly.

"He…he's…"

"He's what Doctor?" Rose asked anxiously after a brief moment of silence, her eyes searching his pain-stricken face as she took his hand. "Was he the one that did this to you?"

"There's…something I didn't…didn't tell you," he wheezed, reaching out the hand not clasping Rose's towards his own chest, undoing his pyjama shirt buttons shakily. "I lied…I thought…that…that they'd go away…"

"Rose what's he talkin' about?" Jack asked, but quickly shut up at the answer was revealed to him painfully obviously. Rose gasped as he let go of her hand and withdrew his right arm out of the sleeve, revealing the reels and reels of bloody bandages hiding the injury at the top of his arm. She could guess it before she saw.

Even so, she hastily undid the bandages, peeling them off to expose the three parallel scratch marks she thought to have long since faded now as bright and bloody as ever, strange tinges of a very familiar substance strictly blue in colour in amongst the cuts.

The Doctor looked miserable as the three stared at it, horrified and confused.

"You said they were gone Doctor…" Rose cried despairingly, pulling his shirt over it when she couldn't stare at it any longer. "You said they were gone…"

"I didn't want to…to burden you Rose…"

"You're not a burden, you're a moron, okay?" she answered gently.

"That…makes me feel better…" he gasped out with a grin, before turning his gaze over to Jack. "Jack, get me to…to the TARDIS…med scan…I think something's…med scan…"

Jack, still only half dressed took the proffered coat from Jackie and threw it over himself before helping the Doctor onto unsteady feet, Jackie placing blanket around the Doctor's shoulders to protect him from the midnight winds. He looked pale, dizzy and unhappy, only confirmed when he fainted once again straight into Jack's arms.

"He's beginnin' to get on my nerves with this," Jack said humorously, picking the Time Lord up and making swiftly out of the door to the TARDIS Infirmary.


	5. Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It’s Off To The Scan We Go

**A/N: **No, I have not been watching Snow White And The Seven Dwarves, I just had a spontaneous chapter naming moment.

Tyvm for all reviews so far, you make me happyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Like a peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeea!

That was a spontaneous "crap-poetry" moment. Ooo, you wanna hear some more:D

Doctor, Doctor, Doctor,  
You should really have a helicopter,  
'Cause then you could fly,  
Like that "Heroes" guy,  
Now let's do the "Bopter"!  
(Dances the Bopter)

* * *

Chapter 4 – Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off To The Scan We Go!

The TARDIS had been extremely helpful the second they'd stepped inside, shifting the corridors to lead them all straight to the Infirmary. There were printed instructions in English already on the examination bed, a step-by-step guide to usage of a medical scan. Rose had been inside the medical scan only once before in her life, and that was to place a blueprint of herself in the TARDIS' database for future reference. This thing checked everything: height, weight, blood type, heart rate, brain activity, BMR, temperature – basically all the normal functions.

The machine itself was of a cylinder construction, a quarter of it made of glass where the person was put inside to be accessed.

"Place input inside glass dome," Rose read off of the instructions carefully. "Close the lid and allow ten seconds for assessment of input."

They did so, Jack watching the monitor at the end of the scanner for any clue where this was going. Ten seconds later, as it had said, he was looking at a previous blueprint of the Doctor. The outlines became animated flesh and suddenly Jack was looking at the Doctor's internal system. Two hearts, slightly enlarged lungs – his brain was split into three sections and although Jack was no expert on bone structure, he could tell the Doctor's frame was a little more sturdy than the average human. He seemed to have a few extra ribs…his body temperature fifteen degrees at normal.

"Once scan is complete, press the green button to begin processing."

Jack did so, watching as clear restraints buzzed up and clamped the Doctor firmly in place. There was a faint humming sound as blue lines of light traced up and down his bodylines of light traced up and down his body in an extremely high tech scan.

The monitor made a song of beeps as the results came processing through, and clear restraints hissed back to allow freedom of movement. Rose and her mother joined Jack and watched the monitor.

**Major Laceration x3: Deltoid and Lateral head of Triceps Branchii **

** Minor Bruise x2: Zygomatic Bone and Supraorbital notch **

** Headache (contd.) **

** Muscle ache (contd.) **

** Nausea (contd.) **

** Lethargy (contd.) **

** Dizziness (contd.) **

The screen fell blank for a moment, before completing more data.

**Contd. Items possible co-relation to blood system anomaly true/false? **

Pause.

** Scanning blood… **

Pause.

**Processing results… **

Pause.

**Complete. **

Then it all happened so fast. The screen displaying the results suddenly started to flash a blinding red, and there was a loud humming sound and the echo of a click.

**Activated Quarantine. **

"Jack? What's goin' on?!" Rose asked, moving back around to the glass dome and making to lift it to get the Doctor out – but it was stuck fast. Locked, no doubt. "Jack it's locked him in!"

"It's activated a quarantine, a total lock in we can't deactivate," Jack said out loud, still staring at the screen. "It search his blood stream and found somethin' that's not meant to be there."

"And it's contagious?"

Jack merely shrugged. "It's doing some more scannin'. I think _it_ thinks it _might _be contagious, and sealed him up just to make sure nothin' gets out while it processes. I don't think it _is _contagious, or you would've caught it already Rose."

She nodded, pressing her hand against the glass that separated them from the Doctor.

"How long 'til it's completed?" she asked, and Jack looked back to the scanner screen.

"The rate it's goin' now, around…nine hours? Long enough to get some sleep anyway." He grinned. "That was a casual hint, by the way Rose."

She smiled back. "Yeah, I heard it. I'm gonna stay in here though." She lowered herself onto the nearest bed and lifted the cover, climbing inside.

"Me too," Jack agreed, before turning to Jackie. "Plenty of bed spaces 'round here Mrs. Tyler, if you wanna stay a night."

She smiled, shaking her head. "No thanks Mr. Harkness, but you're welcome to join me in the flat…"

"Get a room," Rose muttered, turning over in the bed and shoving the pillow over her head. Her mother took that as a cue to leave, and the TARDIS dimmed the Infirmary lights.

* * *

The Doctor jerked immediately upright to sitting position on his elbows, his head instantly colliding with the glass roof of the soft bed he was lying on. He winced with the harsh collision, falling instantly back down onto the bed and rubbing his forehead where a dull pain now throbbed. 

"Ow," he murmured, blinking a few times to focus his vision. He recognised it instantly – TARDIS Infirmary, med scan. They'd made it. He turned onto his left side, staring out of the glass shield to the world outside with his hand vacantly massaging the area of impact. He'd already been quarantined then. He could see two figures from where he lay, comfortable in two of the Infirmary beds. Jack and Rose, no doubt.

He sighed, pulling up the blanket they took with them left abandoned at his feet, trying to get comfortable. This medical scanner was not designed for overnight stays and he knew when he finally got out he was going to have to spend about an hour trying to get the feeling back into his legs.

He closed his eyes more out of boredom than an actual need, but soon found himself drifting off to sleep. Next thing he knew someone was speaking to him so loudly it racked his sleep riddled brain, making him sit up in alarm and hit the glass pane once again in exactly the same place.

He groaned, falling back down and holding his head.

"Good mornin'," said a bright American accented voice, and the Doctor opened his eyes to see Jack standing tall above him, Rose to his side through the glass. There were speakers implanted in the glass to amplify both his speech and theirs.

"Morning," he answered with equally as much enthusiasm as his companion, to which they both replied with silent smiles. "I see I'm already in quarantine then."

"Did you know this would happen?" Rose asked, slightly confused.

He paused for a moment; somehow glad of the glass pane between them.

"Kind of."

Rose said nothing for a moment, before Jack wisely chose to interrupt the huge argument he could see quite plainly brewing between the two before his eyes.

"Apparently an anomaly in your blood Doc," he explained. "Found somethin' it didn't like."

"D'you know what's wrong?" Rose demanded, sounding mildly annoyed.

He shook his head truthfully in reply. Rose seemed to be a little winded from this, expecting a mountain but instead getting a molehill.

"Well there's probably 'round five hours 'til we can tell – it's at 56.78 percent now," Jack pointed out, sparing a glance to the scanner screen. "Then we'll know what's wrong. In the meantime…" He turned to Rose, giving her one of his best grins. "Fancy watching a movie?"

"Hey!" the Doctor cried indignantly from his glass cell. "You can't leave me alone in here!"

"Hmm, what's that Doc?" he asked vaguely, not even turning back around as they headed to the door. "Don't worry, we'll save you some popcorn."

* * *

**A/N: **Ooo, I'm gonna write one about Mickey! 

Mickey, Mickey, Mickey,  
I thought your name was Ricky,  
You got locked in a bin,  
With a dog made of tin,  
Remember to hide your hickey!


	6. Does Your Mother Know?

**A/N: **The Bopter is a very simple dance in which you lift your right knee and to the tune of 'Happy Birthday' you hop in a 360 pivot chanting "KAAAAAA-YUUUUUUUUUM-BAAAAAAAA!!" over and over until you collapse and die on the floor then the Doctor jumps in dressed as a fairy with a twinkle wand and casts a spell over you and then you BOTH do the Bopter until a second _before _you die and he has the commons sense to ask you why the hell you're doing it in the first place and you shrug then he invites you on board the TARDIS which incidentally is also doing the Bopter aswell because it's so damn catchy then you all fall about on the floor giggling like crazy. (Breathe) And that's the Bopter.

Yes, 'Does Your Mother Know?' just came on my playlist and I thought it would be a gosh darn suitable title. (Swings arm) 

* * *

Chapter 5 – Does Your Mother Know?

**Analysing 99.98 percent…**

**Analysing 99.99 percent…**

**Analysing 100 percent. Analysing complete.**

Oxygen levels had been low to begin with in the scanner and currently the settings programmed into it meant air was not recycled. By the time Jack and Rose were heading to the Infirmary the Doctor had had to revert to his respiratory bypass system and was currently trying not to use too much of this reserve energy by staying absolutely still, eyes closed and waiting patiently for the two extremely ignorant and irresponsible amigos return from their movie marathon.

Sure enough, he soon heard the sound of footsteps in the room, accompanied with the sound of flirtatious banter and childish laughter. The footsteps got closer and closer until they finally stopped somewhere beside him, and Jack's confident voice rang out:

"Wakey, wakey Doctor, you've got school in a minute!"

Rose laughed, but then it slowly trailed off to nothingness.

Pause.

"Doctor?"

Pause.

"Jack, umm…why isn't he movin'?"

"Err…"

"Or _breathin'?"_

Panic immediately erupted and if the Doctor could risk laughing without suffocating then he would of. Rose lifted the glass and grabbed him around the shoulders, using all of her might to pull him out and drag him over to a bed as Jack checked the problem.

"There was no oxygen in there," Jack muttered, almost hitting himself on the head. "How could I be so _thick?!"_

Rose however, was busy trying to give the Doctor the kiss of life and to say he was enjoying it would be perhaps an understatement. He heard Jack come up next to him, waited until Rose had drew away, and then…

"BOO!" he yelled, sitting straight upright with his arms outstretched, Rose screaming in alarm and springing five foot backwards as did Jack. The Doctor laughed out loud as they both regained their composure, and for a moment or two he wondered whether Rose was going to slap him or not. Instead, she launched forward and drew him into an extremely tight hug.

"I thought you were dead…"

"Can't kill me," he replied brightly, looking up at Jack and sticking out his tongue to imply Rose had chosen the Time Lord over the ex-Time Agent. Jack gave him the two-finger salute in reply. "Respiratory bypass, Time Lord superiority," he boasted, "due to Jack's fantastic forward thinking."

"Alright Brains, check this and tell me what the hell it means." Jack extended out a hand to the Doctor; in of which was clutched a printout of the analysis but was entirely gobble-de-gook to Jack.

Rose drew back, looking down at the paper. Evidently she couldn't work out either.

"Looks like a bloody chemistry lesson," Rose muttered, looking sideward at the Doctor as he stared down at the paper. Impossibly, he seemed to be even whiter than the illness had made him. She frowned. "Doctor?"

The Doctor didn't say anything for a moment, rechecking the paper for the fifth time to see if he might've misread a digit. "Oh Rose," he whispered, looking up at the girl before looking over to Jack. "Jack."

"Doctor?" Jack reiterated, sitting down on the bed with his gaze firmly locked onto the Doctor's.

The Doctor suddenly beamed, completely different to the gaunt looking person sitting there but two seconds ago.

"Good news! It's nothing! Just a bug, be gone soon!" he said brightly, scrunching up the piece of paper and aiming for the bin, but Jack instantly grasped his wrists to stop him.

"Doctor," he said lowly, firmly. Rose also had her hands on his shoulders, resolutely pinning him down. "What is it?"

He looked to the floor, unsure of how to phrase his next sentence without causing emotional pain to the both of his companions.

"Sorry to sound so cliché but…" He gulped, panning across the both of them looking more than grave. "…I've got ten days to live."

* * *

"He's got _WHAT?!" _Jackie Tyler screamed down the phone in a genuine panic. "With _WHAT?! _Poison?! Get him on the phone _right _now! We'll soon see about this!!! NOW!"

Jackie impatiently clicked her tongue as the Doctor received the phone from Rose, Jackie just about to blow a hole through his head with a metaphorical shotgun.

"_Hello Jackie," _he said nervously.

"Don't you 'hello' me!" she screamed back. "Please tell me this isn't true!"

"_It is, I'm sorry I didn't know earlier but it was never this bad…"_

"Don't you bloody prattle off excuses to me! You call yourself a Doctor and you can't like, extract it?"

"_It's bonded with my blood cells, I can't do anything."_

"But you're a bloody whatsit…a Gravity Lord arentcha?! Do somethin' 'bout it!"

"_It's too late Jackie. The poison is so advanced it's gonna completely destroy my capacity to regenerate."_

"But if someone _made _the poison they must 'ave an antidote too! That bloke you were talkin' 'bout, Zimnos…"

The line suddenly went silent.

"Oh God you're dead…" Jackie whispered.

"No I'm thinking…" 

"Think more!"

The line went silent again. Jackie waited for at least ten seconds before she really began to get alarmed.

"Oh God, _now _you're dead."

"_Jackie I'm not gonna be dead for another ten days, now please shut up, I'm trying to think."_

"Just because you're dyin' doesn't mean you can tell _me _to shut up mister!"

"Please Jackie…" 

"I'm not 'avin' you goin' off and leavin' Rose all on 'er own! If you die I'll kill you!"

"I might have an answer."

"Then go do it!"

The Doctor dropped the phone back onto its holder and leapt gracefully over to the other side of the console, hammering buttons and yanking levers up and down expertly, Jack and Rose watching him in anticipation of when he was going to collapse and die.

"It all leads back to Жemnas," the Doctor started, wiping a little sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand as he flipped the handbrake and promptly threw all of his passengers off of their feet. "Jackie is, in a shot, right. If Жemnas made the poison he must've made an antidote in case it went wrong."

"This isn't the end human," Rose suddenly said in an automatic voice aloud, expression dark. "You'll be forced to return."

"What?" Jack asked, evidently concerned for the girl's mental health.

"That's what he said. Жemnas. When we left last time, that was what he said."

"Maybe it was his backup plan?" Jack proposed. "And who is this guy anyway? Doesn't sound like one for a party."

"He's a megalomaniac, used to own a gaming complex on Zodonia…that was, until Rose arrived," he said, shooting a sideward grin at the girl in question. "He's currently doing time in the Zodonian prison, though I wouldn't be too surprised if he took a detour to a mental health hospital."

"What happened?"

Rose was the one to explain as the Doctor dropped down into the console chair next to Rose, running his hand through his hair. As Rose's story came to an end, Jack grinned and looked up at he Doctor, who was staring off into the distance.

"You've got a Fanclub Doctor!" he declared, but the Doctor just continued to stare into space. "Umm, Doctor? Hello?"

Rose gave him a gentle push in the shoulder, noticing how his hand seemed to be tapping repeatedly against his thigh in a steady rhythm. "Doctor, hello, we're in the TARDIS!"

He remained still, staring unseeingly at the wall with his eyes glazed over, his fingers keeping the rhythm against his leg.

"Does he regularly do this in this body?" Jack questioned, frowning as he moved infront of the Doctor, clicking his fingers infront of the Doctor's eyes. Before Rose even had a chance to reply, the Doctor blinked and his hand stopped in mid-movement, relaxing. He sat up a little, staring at Jack with confusement.

"Uh, what're you doing Jack?" he asked slowly, as if the ex-Time Agent had just crawled out the crib.

"Trying to get you to focus, did ya switch off for a sec there?"

The Doctor frowned for a moment, hand running absently through his already wild hair. "Sorry, what?"

Rose moved closer to him, resting a hand on the Doctor's arm. "You were just starin' into space for a bit."

"Oh," was all he had to answer to it. Using Jack to get onto his feet without falling over, the Doctor bounded over to the double TARDIS doors picking his coat up on the way. "Come on, let's go find Jhutsu," he said with enthusiasm and disappeared through to the world outside.

Jack made to follow, but Rose was quick to grab his arm for a moment as they stood just inside the doors.

"Keep an eye on him?"

He nodded assurance. "You too."


	7. What Have You Done?

**A/N: **WHAT HAVE YOU DONE NOW?!?! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I've been waiting for someone like yooooooooooooooooooooou but now you are slipping awaaaaaaaay...WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?! Why does fate make us suffer! There's a catch between us! Between me and YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!!!

...Uh anyway, I think I'm getting into a phase where all the chapter names are song titles. This particular one, if you couldn't tell, is Within Temptation - What Have You Done? and is a very apt title for the chapter. I've got half a mind to go back and make 'em ALL song titles!

* * *

Chapter 6 – What Have You Done?

_**Two months earlier…**_

After Jhutsu had waved his two new friends goodbye he headed down towards the "Component Room" for _Time Catcher _to see the progress the police were making. He IDed his way through the gathered crowds of officials until he was standing in the doorway of the prison-like central mainframe, the cell that had previously held the Doctor still standing in the middle with blooded water sitting in the bottom of the clear pod. Tubes that had previously kept his friend alive now hung loosely in the pod, their substances dripping every minute or so to the coloured water below.

Evidently the game had been unable to cope with the instantaneous shutdown and removal of its most prime component as the surrounding computers were steaming and spitting out sparks of electricity every few seconds. It was hazardous but the police were quickly taking evidence and photos to use in court before anyone would try to clean it all up and destroy this godforsaken room once and for all.

"Umm, Jhutsu, isn't it?" asked a well-pronounced voice in his ear, and Jhutsu turned to see Amrok standing beside him, holding a clipboard.

"That's me," he answered casually; quite proud someone knew his name in this place.

"Would you like me to book some cleaners for this place?" Amrok asked, and Jhutsu shook his head.

"I'd prefer the Demolition Squad," Jhutsu muttered back, rubbing his tired eyes. It had been one _long _day. "Get rid of this place. I'd be glad never to see it again in my life."

"Jhutsu, sir," Amrok sounded surprised and horrified at the idea. "This piece of technology is an innovation! You can't possibly destroy it!"

"What use is it now anyway?" Jhutsu countered, folding his arms across his chest. "We don't even have a feed."

"_Anyone _can be the feed, sir! We could this thing for long-time games! Days, _weeks, _infact! You can't possibly want to destroy it!"

Jhutsu paused for a moment, stroking an imaginary beard…but then rapidly began to shake his head. "I've got too many memories of this place. My friend was practically tortured here, I can't keep it."

"But when _we _use it we wouldn't have the same intentions as your predecessor sir! We are using it for customer and public satisfaction, and they can be disengaged at any point in time!"

Jhutsu had to admit, it sounded like a very good idea. He wasn't very good at game development and needed something new and interesting to launch the new gaming corporation with, in order for it to become successful. After _Time Catcher_'s downfall all critical eyes would turn to the Gaming Complex, and he genially hated to disappointed people.

A moment's silence more, and Jhutsu finally nodded.

"Okay. Let's get this place cleaned up and running again."

* * *

_**Two months later…**_

"Welcome to the Tyler Gaming Complex," the Doctor read out loud off of the silver plated sign above the sleek glass double doors. "He stuck with it then."

"I like it, it's kinda catchy," Jack chipped in, walking on in behind the Doctor as he strolled up to reception through the crowds of people moving inside the doorways. Rose noticed that Amrok was still in employment of the Complex on the reception, and the entire place felt a bit more homely than when Жemnas owned the hallways.

"Hello," the Doctor said casually, leaning on the reception desk. Amrok looked up from his computer screen for a moment at the three gathered around his desk, eyes fixing onto the Doctor. He looked away back towards the computer screen – but then his eyes widened and his head jerked back up to the Doctor, shocked.

"Duuuh…duuh…" he started out dumbly, before swallowing as forcing his mouth to actually form the syllables he wanted to say. "Doctor?"

"Yep, that's me. Me, Rose and our plus one." He gestured remotely towards Jack, who flashed a set of perfect teeth. "We're here to see Jhutsu Porther."

"D'you have an appointment?" Amrok asked nervously, knowing he shouldn't be asking the Doctor, the actual _Doctor _such trivial questions. Rose caught onto this, infuriated.

"Do we have a bloody app-"

"Rose," the Doctor interrupted, raising a silencing hand. "He's just doing his job. And as a matter of fact, we _do _have an appointment for…" – he took a quick glance at the clock above the Reception Desk – "…11:30am. So, we're a little late already, must dash, don't want to keep the big man waiting." He sketched a half wave of farewell to Amrok as he turned. "Through here, is it? Jack, Rose!"

All three were gone before Amrok had a chance to open his mouth.

* * *

Jhutsu Porther wearily reached for the almost drained box of pills set aside on his desk – a well rehearsed routine by now. He didn't even look around as he heard the knocking on the room door, merely answering with an automatic: "come in," as he reached for the glass of water with his other hand. 

"Jhutsu!" yelled an extremely familiar voice from the doorway as Jhutsu's mind suddenly froze over to ice.

"Doctor?!" he gasped, launching onto his feet – but instantly clutched at his ribs, coughing chestily. The Doctor's face dropped instantly.

"Sorry," he apologised after the hacking cough came to an end, gesturing for them to sit down. "Have a seat, Doctor, Rose and Mr…?"

"Harkness," Jack supplied as the Doctor pulled out a chair courteously for Rose. "Captain Jack Harkness. You must be Jhutsu Porther, I've heard a lot about you."

"Nice to meet you. I would say I've heard a lot about you too but…well…I haven't."

"Well, we should get to know each other better…" Jack started, but the Doctor quickly cut the sentence with a rather large pair of imaginary scissors.

"Before you two get sexually indulged, can I just talk to Jhutsu for a moment?" the Doctor fired at Jack, who nodded with a shrug, and leant back in his chair. Jhutsu had turned a pretty shade of bright pink.

"What've we missed?"

"Oh, not much. It's been going much better recently." Jhutsu retook his glass of water and pill, swallowing it down in one go. "So what brings you here?"

A brief moment of silence, and Jhutsu became unnerved once more. He looked up, meeting the Doctor's gaze staring impassively into his.

"Umm…?"

"Jhutsu," he started slowly, not breaking his gaze. "How long have you been on narcotics?"

"About a week or so…"

"Why?"

Jhutsu blinked, trying to work out the reason why he was currently being interrogated. "Migraines."

The Doctor's eyebrows lowered, and he leant forward slightly in his chair.

"Nausea? Muscle ache?"

Jhutsu paused, then nodded.

The Doctor was increasingly becoming more and more sharp in his questioning.

"Jhutsu, has there been any kind of virus around this planet recently?"

"Well…yes, now you come to mention it. Everyone has it. It's global."

"Has anyone died from it?"

He shook his head. "No, just a general feeling of being unwell I guess."

The Doctor leant forward towards the alien, eyes locked and foreboding. "Jhutsu, I want the truth when I ask this question. Did you keep the central mainframe of _Time Catcher _running?"

A long pause before Jhutsu finally spoke in a high-pitched terrified voice:

"Yes."

The Doctor launched into action instantly, delving a hand into his pocket and bringing out white hanky as of yet unused. He moved over to Rose and reached with the hanky to her nose and mouth, covering them over. She stared at him, confused, but the seriousness in his eyes was enough to reassure her something serious was going on here.

"Rose, breathe shallowly, okay? I'll take you back to the TARDIS in a minute. Jack, keep an eye on her," the Doctor said quickly, before he turned back to Jhutsu, expression fuming as he almost yelled at the alien,_ "why _did you reuse it?!"

"Amrok thought it would be a good focal point for the relaunch…"

The Doctor cut instantly over him, "don't you realise what you've done?! Did you not see a pattern?!"

Jhutsu was paling. "No…"

"The entire population of this planet will be _dead _in a _month_ because of this! It's all about the _money _isn't it! You don't care about anything but a few more pennies to add to your collection! I trusted you to put things right but I trusted another selfish _idiot _which means now I've got to sort out your _mess _and I've got ten days to do it in!" he span away from Jhutsu to Rose, resting a hand to her forehead and checking her pulse with the other.

"Doctor what's goin' on?" Rose asked quietly, plainly confused.

The Doctor dodged the question for a moment, more important matters at hand. "Rose How're you feeling? You're not drowsy are you? Headache? Stomach ache? Feeling sick?"

She shook her head. "Please Doctor, what the hell is happenin'?"

"We have to get you out of this atmosphere. It's polluted."

"With what?" Jack asked, now standing the other side of Rose.

The Doctor looked up at him, eyes full of regret. "With the poison running in my veins," the Doctor answered lowly. "Jack, this planet is going to be dead in a month; this solar system in a year; the entire Universe in one hundred years, and for all we know there's no antidote."

"But how can it infect everyone?"

"I'll explain later Jack, we need to get Rose back to the TARDIS right now."

Jack abided, eyeing Jhutsu as he made out of the door in tow of the Doctor and Rose. Jhutsu stared after them for a moment before coming to his senses, following the crowd out of the door.

* * *

**A/N: **What have you done? What have you done?! What have you done?!?!?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE NOW?!?!? 


	8. Biology

**A/N: **You can't mistake my biology! The way that we talk! The way that we walk! ...Etc.

Whew, I'm WAY ahead here. I'm on chapter ELEVEN!! Can you believe that?! ELEVEN!!! And for your reference chapter ten is called 'Love In An Elevator' though is slightly more innocent than that suggests. Coz I'm sad and I have no life I while away the evenings playing on my Sims 2 making babies with David (I think he'd be disturbed that people do this) and we've made a baby or woohooed in every single conceivable place _including _a lift in a shopping mall. The TARDIS is also a good place. And oh, my eldest married to a girl that looks _incredibly _like Martha...

Anyway, enough about sex.

* * *

  
Chapter 7 – Biology

The Doctor was busy setting up some kind of injection for Rose in the TARDIS to analyse her blood before Jack and Jhutsu arrived, giving her an oxygen mask and telling her to breathe in deeply and exhale as much as possible. He gently took her hand and turned her forearm to face upwards, holding a needle in his right hand.

"What're you doin'?" she asked, slightly nervous. He looked up at her gaze for a moment, taking a minute to look over her beautiful face now worried and half covered in an oxygen mask.

"Taking some of your blood so I can check to see if the amount you breathed in is going to be a problem," he answered straight, moving to position himself between her body and her arm so she wouldn't be able to see the needle going in. "I doubt it will be."

"Always the optimistic Doctor," she joked, and the Doctor laughed back. Jack and Jhutsu entered the Infirmary after a few more seconds, Jack taking a seat on Rose's right. Rose blinked a moment at Jack, but then suddenly frowned.

"Doctor, isn't Jack infected too?"

The Doctor paused, looking up to exchange a knowing look with Jack. "No," he finally answered, "it's impossible for Jack to be infected and die."

"Why?"

The Doctor tentively scratched the back of his ear. "Umm Rose, Jack isn't exactly…normal."

"I kind of knew that Doctor."

"I mean, physically he's different."

"I knew that too."

Jack decided to cut the rubbish and go straight for the meat. "Rose, I'm invincible."

She blinked as she stared at him for a moment, but then to Jack's complete and utter surprise; she began to laugh.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Jack that has gotta be the weirdest chat-up line you've ever thought up."

"He's not chatting you up, for once," the Doctor added as an afterthought. "He's actually invincible."

"B…b…but…what?! What's that supposed to mean?"

Jack gave her a reassuring smile before getting onto his feet infront of her and the Doctor, placing hands on hips. "Doctor? Would you care to do the honours?"

The Doctor drew away from Rose's arm, raising his right hand with the needle still in his grip – now filled with her own blood. She hadn't even felt it. He placed the needle in a nearby tray before turning back around to Jack, walking boldly forward towards him. Then suddenly, without any warning at all the Doctor lurched out with a clenched right fist and caught Jack full in the face. Jack cried out in pain and clasped a hand to his now bloody and broken nose, Rose jumping to her feet in alarm as she implored the Doctor on why he did that.

"Rodes, wadch!" Jack said in a muted voice, lifting his hand from his nose to reveal the blood that was spilling out get instantly sucked back in, the sound of bones cracking back into place before Rose was suddenly staring at a completely clean uninjured Jack.

"What the…how'd you do that?!"

"I told you Rose, I'm invincible."

"Oh yeah, of course, silly me…!" Rose said sarcastically, before looking back over at the Doctor who was busy staring down the lens of a microscope.

"You got one hell of a punch on ya Doc," Jack commented, checking his nose to make sure it was back in place.

"Thanks," the Doctor said, still staring down the microscope. Jhutsu shifted uncomfortably behind them, both bewildered and horrified by the Doctor and Roses' new friend. Jack moved up behind the Doctor, looking over his shoulder to what he was looking at.

"That's rude y'know," the Doctor pointed out after a few moments.

"Just intrigued," Jack countered with a shrug. "So how'd the poison infect everyone on the planet anyway? You never said."

The Doctor took a deep breath – the kind he normally took when a giant complex explanation was imminent, still looking down the microscope.

"When I was forcedly taken out of the game I was shot with a large dose of a poison as a sort of punishment, probably a last resort of Жemnas'. Oblivious to it Rose and me carried on travelling, leaving Jhutsu to clean up the mess on Zodonia.

"Trouble is, the shot of poison is an automated system, so when Jhutsu decided to keep the central mainframe running everybody who climbed inside that pod and attached themselves into the machine was shot with the poison too.

"Since I'm a Time Lord the poison stayed in me and didn't mutate, but inside the Zodonians' weak immune systems it did, and became airborne. Other people breathed it in, and instantly became infected.

"But Zodonia is the heart of the gaming community. People come here from all over the Universe to use the facilities, so when they came here and breathed in the air they became infected – and since the poison is slow acting – they went back to their own planets, unaware of it. They breathed the air on their own planet, polluting the air that others breathed.

"So everytime someone shifts to another planet, the entire race on there will become infected. It'll spread like a rash across the stars as the poison mutates and mutates to touch, liquid, particles, settling in drink, on hands, feet, every single possible way it can infect everyone. Then everything dies – unless we can stop it."

Jack whistled. "Not _too _much of an outcome then."

The Doctor however, did not laugh. He simply drew away from the microscope and turned to face the crowd in the TARDIS Infirmary, done with his examination of Rose's blood.

"Well?" Jack asked.

The Doctor drew in a loud sigh, asking firm eye contact with his female companion.

"You're infected," he said straight.

Jack's head bowed to the floor in regret as Rose maintained her gaze with the Doctor.

"How long's she got, Doc?"

"About three months, tops."

Silence dawned on the group, all too shocked to express grief before the Doctor stepped over to Rose, taking her hand and pulling her onto her feet.

"Though, there is a way I can get rid of the poison within her," the Doctor said, much to the approval of Jack and Jhutsu. "But it would mean shortening my life instead."

Then it went quiet.

"Don't do it," Rose said instantly, "I don't wanna shorten your life any more than it is."

"Except it's not your choice Rose," the Doctor countered validly, "it's mine. It's me for you and to me that sounds more than fair. You know I'd do anything to save your life, even if it means losing a little of my own."

"But what if you _need _those few days?!" Rose cried, ripping off the oxygen mask and throwing it onto the bed she'd just been sat on a moment ago. "We're gonna find the antidote and we're gonna save you, but we _need _these ten days together."

"I'm sorry Rose, I'm taking the decision and my decision is to save you."

She blinked back tears. "I don't wanna see you die…" she whimpered.

The Doctor shook his head. "This is my ship Rose, my rules. My choices. I'm sorry but this what's got to be done. You're in the early stages; in ten days it'll be too late to do anything anyway. I've got to do it now."

She could see no point in trying to argue with him. That was what was so irritating, really. He'd give his life to save a chicken, in all likelihood. That was his problem – he was too damn _nice._

She sighed and dropped her head against his chest. She could hear the constant beating of his dual hearts, soon to stop and beat no more.

"Okay," she whispered.

He nodded, pushing her away from his chest to arms length, staring into her eyes.

"Forgive me for this," he warned, "it's the only way I can do it."

He lowered his lips to meet hers in a prolonged kiss of life, and Rose, at first startled, then started to submit to the kiss' side effects. She felt as though something was being drained out of her as she concentrated only on the kiss, and the Doctor's lips.

She felt the heaviness that she didn't even realise had settled in her begin to lift, disappearing from her system.

It felt like years before his soft, moist lips parted from hers but she wanted the kiss to last forever. Euphoria was everywhere in Rose, clogging up her senses and making her feel as though she could fly. Perhaps she could try it in a minute…

They parted, and she allowed a moment more to be spent staring into his enchanting gaze.

"Bloody hell," she whispered, before promptly fainting backwards onto the floor.

Jack blinked at the unconscious figure now strewn onto the floor, as did the Doctor.

"Must've been a hell of a kiss," Jack commented, and Jhutsu nodded enthusiastically in agreement.


	9. Wake Me Up Before You Go Go

**A/N: **Wake me up! Before you go go! Don't leave me hanging on like a yoyo!

(Ahem) Yes, anyway, I don't think I have anything to say apart from a quick note to **crazytook **to say thank you and I _really _used to think like that back about a year ago :D I'm not sure how the "underlying love plot" will develop but anything the Doctor admits now would just add to Rose's grief when he does finally pop his clogs. To put it nicely :)

Oh, got the three new DW books today!

* * *

Chapter 8 – Wake Me Up Before You Go Go

"So we'll be headin' off soon then?" Jack asked the Doctor who was sitting beside Rose, staring at her face. He nodded at Jack without moving his gaze.

"Wait for Rose, so she doesn't wake up to an empty TARDIS and all that."

"She's not gonna agree to this y'know," Jack pointed out truthfully, "she'll be on our heels."

"If she sets a foot out there she'd be executing herself," the Doctor said, brushing back Rose's hair from out of her face. "I can't let her do that."

"She still won't let you leave her."

The Doctor sighed heavily, looking up at his second companion. "I know. But if we don't do this the entire Universe'll be wiped out in a year."

"Do what?" said a sudden voice from below, and the Doctor looked down in surprise to see Rose now fully awake, looking up at him inquisitively.

"Rose – me, Jack and Jhutsu are gonna go out and confront Жemnas for the antidote," he paused for a moment, before adding, "and you're not going to come."

She stared at him, eyes narrowing. "Why am I not comin'?"

"Rose, the atmosphere out there is deadly. I can't risk you with it."

"Then what've you got strapped to you?" she pointed out, gesturing at the oxygen canister he was wearing on his back, an oxygen mask hanging loosely over his chest.

"Nothing," he said instantly in an innocent voice.

"Doctor get me one of them. There's no _way_ I'm staying here watching you guys have all the fun."

"I can't let you! It's certain death out there!" he raised his voice, pointing towards the doorway as he got onto his feet, Rose following him. "One wrong gasp of air and you're on the road to death Rose!"

"Well then that's _my _problem, isn't it?!" She placed two hands on his chest and gave him a light shove back towards Jack and Jhutsu. "You don't own me!"

"I reserve the full right to kick you off of the TARDIS if you don't do as I say!" the Doctor yelled back.

"But you never _would _kick me off!"

He paused, looking down at the floor. "Alright, so I wouldn't. But I'm the one that promised your mother I'd keep you safe so you _will _do as I say or I will personally wrap you up in cotton wool and take you to the safest places in the Universe!"

She shoved him again. "How 'bout _no!"_

"Will you two stop flirtin' and get the hell _on _with it?" Jack suddenly cut in, and suddenly both Time Lord and human were staring at him, furious.

"We are not _flirtin'!" _Rose snapped angrily, resisting the incredible urge to reach up to the Doctor's neck and throttle him senseless. "He just thinks he can control me!"

"I do _not _think I can control you!"

"Well you're makin' a bloody good impression of it!"

"You're just being selfish!"

"_I'm _being selfish?! I'm not the one wantin' all the action for himself!"

"I'm just concerned about _you! _Is it illegal to _do _that now?!"

"You might _aswell _wrap me up in cotton wool if you don't let me have _adventure _every now and then!"

Jack and Jhutsu watched the verbal tennis match, Jack getting increasingly annoyed with the both of them. Sometimes he just wanted to bang their heads together…

"I _do _let you have adventure when there's an actual chance you'll live!"

"There's a chance now!"

"_This is MY SHIP!!!"_

"So you keep _saying!!!"_

The Doctor put a hand to his forehead tiredly. "This is the Reapers all over again…"

"Exactly, you were _wrong!"_

"I was _right!"_

"Wrong!"

"Right!"

"Wrong!!!"

"Right!!!"

"WRONG!!!"

"RIGHT!!!"

"GUYS!" Jack yelled, reaching to the side and bringing up an oxygen canister prepared by the side. "Entire fate of the Universe, _remember?"_

They suddenly broke off in mid argument, both of them flushing red and staring at the floor guiltily.

"Thank you! Put _away _your handbags ladies! Now, let's take this slowly. Apologise to Rose, Doctor."

The Doctor looked up to Rose like a disciplined schoolboy, trying to avoid her gaze. "I'm sorry, Rose."

"Now Rose, apologise to the Doctor."

Rose suddenly turned furious. "Why should _I _be apo…" – she caught Jack's glare – "…I'm sorry, Doctor."

"Now, shake hands."

Tentively, they extended their hands and shook. Rose squeezed a little harder than she normally would.

"Hug," Jack commanded.

The Doctor raised his arms to Rose, who walked into his embrace. They remained for a few seconds, before parting.

"Now Doctor, say 'you can come with us' to Rose."

"You can come with us," he repeated reluctantly.

"Rose, say 'thank you'."

"…Thank you."

Jack paused for a moment. "Now Rose, say 'Doctor I will have sex with you tonight'."

"Doctor, I will…WHAT?!"

* * *

"Rose, you okay?" the Doctor asked her for the millionth time, sitting in the squeaky clean waiting room of the Zodonian Mental Hospital as the receptionist arranged a meeting with Zender Жemnas. Screams of tortured souls in the psychotic population that made up the mental hospital could be heard eerily from a distance – as if they were too far to be reached.

Rose rolled her eyes at him, getting slightly annoyed with his constant concern.

"I'm fine Doctor," she replied behind the oxygen mask.

"Just checking," the Doctor said, and Rose exchanged a look with Jack. He shrugged. She scowled.

"He's just a bit out of his moods," Jack muttered in an undertone to her. "He's past the fainting stage now, can't wait to see what's next."

"I can hear you y'know," the Doctor said loudly, and Jack and Rose both looked up to the Doctor guiltily. Jack winked. The Doctor sighed loudly behind the oxygen mask, leaning back on the chair.

"Excuse me, Doctor and company?" said a sudden voice from the side, and they all looked up to see the green skinned three armed employee dressed in a white coat and grey suit beckoning them towards the far door.

The Doctor nodded, getting onto his feet. "That's us."

"Zender Жemnas is ready to see you now."

Unconsciously Rose got up beside the Doctor, taking his hand for comfort. He squeezed on her grip lightly, and she squeezed back. This was it. This was the psycho who had captured the Doctor and held him captive. This was the psycho who had injected him with poison. This was it, and they were going to speak to him, beg him for the location of the antidote.

Jack spotted their tension, resting his hands on their shoulders for moral support and he gently guided them towards the door where the institute's employee stood. Jhutsu followed on, unsure of how Жemnas would treat him since his betrayal to join the Doctor and Rose.

The group followed the employee warily, each of their heads filled with hopes and fears.

They were passing security gate after security gate after security gate – obviously Жemnas had been deemed such a psycho to such a degree he had to stay behind mountains of security. After what seemed like the hundredth airtight door they were told to wait a moment as the employee scurried off to a nearby office.

The Doctor looked around at the ceiling for a moment, his eyes resting on the obvious air conditioning at the other end.

"Is it safe to breathe here?" Rose asked from behind the mask, and the Doctor shook his head.

"Not yet. The employees are probably infected and spreading the poison," he answered, looking her over yet again. "Still okay?"

"Fine," she answered vacantly, obviously not even concentrating. Her mind was filled with flashbacks of their previous encounter with Жemnas: horrible, destructive images.

"Right this way," the employee said as they reappeared out of the office, pressing a button in the side that made an adequate 'whoosh'ing noise and an almost secret compartment opened up in the wall.

The Doctor turned to Jhutsu, expression sympathetic. "Stay here Jhutsu. You're infected and can project it through the air. We need to keep the air down there as clean as possible."

Jhutsu nodded understandingly at the Doctor as the Time Lord led the party of Rose and Jack across the hall and into the compartment. Rose's hand gripping his tighter than ever as the employee explained they would be using the lift for a direct descent underground to Жemnas' cell, and that no one had set foot in there for almost two months. Jack accepted a stun gun for precautionary use.

They all nodded, and the door buzzed shut.

"Should be safe to breathe once we're down there," the Doctor said. "Very few poison particles would've made it this far, and you need a substantial amount to begin the multiplication process."

Rose nodded, but didn't reply. Silence dawned on the entire group as the lift continued on its plunge into the unknown.

They reached their destination, and after depressurising completed they all stepped out into the corridor. Infront of them was a long stretch of whiteness, a single silver thick-looking door set at the end. The air smelt of sterilisation and cleanliness, but it was strangely deprived of sound. The Doctor paused for a second, before tentively taking off his oxygen mask and sniffing to test the air.

"It's safe," he assured the girl, startled to hear his own voice for once so clearly, setting the oxygen canister in the corner of the corridor before helping Rose off with hers. "We must be seriously underground. At _least _a thousand miles from the core."

"Is that bad?" Rose asked anxiously, fumbling for his arm to hold.

"Not if this air con stays switched on and someone doesn't try to hack through the wall," the Doctor answered in – what she thought must have been at one point in time – some kind of reassuring prospect. It wasn't.

Finally, they all looked up at the door.

"Well, off we go then," the Doctor said happily and began to walk towards his past, hands in pockets.


	10. Dizzy

**A/N: **'Dizzy' by Vic Reeves and the Wondestuff. I luuuuurve that song. But now I'm absolutely knackered, so here's the chapter, have fun, you're going to hate me.

* * *

Chapter 9 – Dizzy

"Doctor, Doctor, Doctor my money-making friend, coming back on your hands and knees I see," was the first thing Жemnas said without even looking as the Doctor and company entered the padded cell. The Doctor narrowed his eyes at him, taking in his restrained form leaning against the far wall, staring into the greyness of the rubber.

The Doctor decided to approach the matter with caution, stepping forward until he was in a metre of the alien.

"Жemnas, do you know what's going on?"

Жemnas instantly cracked into laughter, a shrill, high-pitched laugh of a maniac. "How could I know _anything _that's going on? I haven't seen anyone in _sooooooooo _long!"

"It's the poison, Жemnas," the Doctor carried on, regardless. "The same stuff you put into me. It's spreading."

Жemnas laughed again. "Good boy, that Amrok. A model of his father, don't you think?"

The Doctor blinked, startled at the words that had just left Жemnas' mouth. "Amrok is your son?" he concluded, suddenly everything straightening out in his head. "That's why he wanted to reinitialise the _Time Catcher _mainframe…"

"But what does that mean?" Rose asked in confusion. "You knew this was gonna happen?"

"Of course I did! It was entirely planned!" Жemnas spat, pulling slightly away from the wall towards the Doctor. "It's your penalty Doctor, for trying to overthrow Zender Жemnas! Now the entire Universe dies from your actions!"

"Including your son!" Rose pointed out suddenly from nowhere. "Your son's probably infected too!"

To her utter surprise, Жemnas was laughing again. She looked over to the Doctor, who simply shook his head.

"So where is it?" he asked. "The antidote your son used on himself?"

Rose realised then. Amrok hadn't looked ill in reception at all. He was the only one who didn't.

"Oh, the _antidote!"_ Tears of laughter were falling down his cheeks now, Жemnas staggering across the room to where Jack stood. "We had such _plans! _Once this planet died out from the poison we were going to travel the Universe with the antidote, selling teaspoons of the substance for billions and billions! We'd have enough money to buy the Universe ten thousand times over!"

"I won't let you do this!"

"Just _try _and stop me Doctor! These people here are idiots! They don't even have cameras down here, no sound bugs, I'm completely alone! Oh, and _look!" _he pointed at Jack, or rather, the gun he held, still laughing his head off. "A _stun gun! _How very appropriate!"

Before Jack even had a chance to move Жemnas had launched out a suckered hand as his restraints magically fell away and grabbed at the gun. He flipped the setting expertly from '**stun**' to '**kill**' and raised the gun instantly to pan around the room at the three, finger poised over trigger as their arms raised high above their heads.

Finally, it rested on the Doctor.

"You're going to die from the poison anyway Doctor, slowly and painfully. I can end it all here; you would prefer that wouldn't you?"

The Doctor didn't reply.

"You're mental!" Rose yelled out, and the gun instantly went off of the Doctor and over to his young human companion.

"Not mental dearie, just ambitious," he said, "I'm sure even you have ambitions – though granted, you're less unlikely to achieve them when you're lying dead on the floor."

He fired.

"Rose!!!" Jack yelled and dived infront of her, taking the blast full on in the chest. He was dead the instant it hit him, falling to the floor as Жemnas bolted past through the now open door, the Doctor hard on his heels.

"Stop!" the Doctor yelled, bolting after the Zodonian. The Doctor was easily a lot more agile than him and caught up in no time – although the one thing he wasn't expecting was the sudden spin of Жemnas back towards him, fist flying out and hitting the Doctor with immense force, making him fall sideways into the wall and slide helplessly down on the floor.

"Doctor!" Rose called from down the corridor as Жemnas took the liberty of stopping any further pursuit by placing a few kicks to the Doctor's stomach before running off into the lift and disappearing before Rose even had a chance to blink.

"Dammit!" Rose cussed, running over to the Doctor and falling to her knees beside him as he curled in himself, coughing.

"Rose! Did he…get away?" Jack called from the other room, gasping for the air he'd lost whilst being dead.

"Yeah," she answered back, forcing the Doctor to lie on his side towards her. Jack's footsteps soon rang out as he bounded down the corridor to them both. "He got a good few kicks on the Doctor though."

"Ow," Jack muttered, already getting down next to him as the Doctor opened his eyes to look up. "Doesn't bother the Doc! Straight in the rock hard six-pack."

He smiled a little, but then it went as quickly as it had come, suddenly a frown creasing across his brow.

Oh Rassilon, he didn't feel good. He didn't feel good at all. The room was spinning as suddenly everything went fuzzy, scarily fuzzy into smears and blurs of shapes that made the world seem like a horror movie. He could taste metallic paint in his mouth and sound seemed to be no longer a sense. He couldn't be…could he?

Speaking was difficult, but some kind of merged string of words just about understandable came out of his mouth in what he hoped sounded like a warning:

"Aurora…" he groaned, unable to stay still as his legs kept moving around as if trying to find a comfortable position. "Aurora…tonk…clonk…"

"A-Aurora?" Jack stumbled over his words for a moment. "No Doctor, not now…"

"What is it Jack?"

"It's the aurora Rose, the warnin' before…before…a…" he struggled to say the word, "…seizure."

"He's gonna have a fit?!"

Jack didn't need to answer that one. "Rose, stay back. Don't touch him no matter what, I'll make sure he doesn't hurt himself."

"Oh God…" Rose whispered, getting onto her feet and backing into the wall the other side of the corridor, hand over mouth.

Jack quickly took his overcoat off, folding it up and placing it under the Doctor's head. He was in discomfort, curling up with his arms protecting himself from outsiders. One covered his face whilst the other wrapped around his stomach, his entire body gently rocking back and forth.

Then he stopped moving.

"This is a Tonic-Clonic Seizure. That was the 'Tonic'. It's startin'," Jack said lowly, placing himself between his friend and the wall to make sure he didn't flail out and whack his head.

"Oh God," Rose repeated again as the Doctor lay unconscious infront of her.

Then a hand twitched. Then it was the shoulder. It spread rapidly across his body as soon his entire body was jerking and thrashing as his muscles contracted and relaxed entirely of their own accord – and Rose could only watch.

It reminded her faintly of when she was in primary school at the tender age of seven: a new girl had joined the class – Sarah. She wasn't one to fit into Rose's friendship group but she was nice, Rose had thought. But then one day during sums she had crossed the classroom to sharpen her pencil and it had happened. Exactly what she was seeing now.

Too young to understand the class had watched in bewilderment as their peer had thrashed around on the floor, the teacher instantly running to help her until a minute later when she'd finally stopped. Their teacher had taken her out of the classroom after she'd woken up, leaving the class to speculate on what had happened to the girl.

Then their teacher had returned, telling them when Sarah re-entered that no one was to stare, and they should just carry on as if nothing had happened. They didn't. The second she stepped into that classroom everyone stared at her, Rose included.

But now she wished she'd been a tad more inquisitive. If she'd learnt more about it maybe she could help the Doctor now. Jack was trying to keep him on his side with something soft under his head, and she could be doing something useful rather than standing there like a lemon. She'd know what the hell was going on. She could help.

She felt so uncomfortable as he continued to spasm, regularly pausing to randomly move a leg or arm in his sleep before the jerking started once more. She couldn't even believe it was really happening. It wasn't right. The Doctor wasn't supposed to do this. It felt like years before he finally fell absolutely still, and Jack was checking his breathing.

All was quiet.

"It's over," Jack said as he beckoned Rose over, and she moved back next to him whilst helping to make the Doctor comfortable. Jack gestured towards an oxygen tank, but didn't need to say a word as Rose obediently fetched it. But seconds after it was in place the Doctor's eyes slowly opened, staring up at his two companions groggily.

"Welcome back," Jack said lightly, shifting his coat a little underneath the Time Lord's head, which was lolling a little to the side. Rose quickly took off her own jacket and slipped it under the side of his head, supporting it.

"Okay?" Rose asked him gently, and he grunted in reply, too exhausted for the moment. Jack looked up at Rose, expression grave.

"I think I know what the next stage is," he muttered.


	11. Love In An Elevator

**A/N: **Whoa! Oh yeeeeah! Whoa! Oh yeeeeeeeah! Love in an elevatoooooor! Living it up when I'm going down!! _Love In An Elevator - Aerosmith._ Very cool song. Listen to it! Grr!

I'm _very _quickly posting this before my internet goes again, it's been down all week, and tomorrow (apparently) dad's gonna sort it out. Don't believe a word he says though. He said he would help me fix up my lil Peugeot I whizz around in on private land (Yes, I can _driiiiive! _Not err, legally, of course) and he _still _hasn't. I'm slightly manic, tonight. I can't sign into MSN because the net cuts out then everyone thinks I'm rudely abandoning them! I'm not...honest... (Sniff)

Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, planet Earth...

* * *

Chapter 10 – Love In An Elevator

"What d'you mean it's his_ second_ seizure?!" Rose shrieked, "I think I would've _noticed_ if he suddenly dropped to the floor and started spasmin'!"

Jack was pretending to be interested in the craftsmanship of the lift button panel as he exchanged a glance with the Doctor who was backed into a corner of the elevator, arms folded as they took the long trip back to the surface.

"You know the blackout in the TARDIS Console room?" Jack asked her, and she nodded impatiently for him to carry on. "That was a seizure."

"What? How?" Rose was demanding in increasingly more agitated and impatient tones. "I thought a seizure was like he just had?"

"There're different types Rose, the Absence Seizure is when you temporarily fall unconscious although it just appears as though you're daydreamin'. The Tonic-Clonic is the one most associated with fits."

"How long is this gonna bloody go on for then?" she didn't seem to realise she was beginning to sound vaguely like her mother – but then her voice dropped to a whisper, fragile and scared, "I can't watch that again. I just can't."

"Probably only a day or two," Jack answered, wondering slightly why he was answering all the questions when the genius himself was standing silent in the corner. "Then it's the next stage."

"Death?" Rose mildly wondered, before turning to the Doctor still standing silent and catching his vacant expression. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him in comfort. He sighed slightly, resting his chin on her head. "We'll find the antidote. We'll save you."

But the Doctor wasn't so convinced.

Rose drew back, daring to let her hands grab his shirt and pull it out, checking his stomach for evidence of the beating earlier. There was nothing there – he sure healed fast. She hadn't even noticed them fade but the ones on his face had disappeared too.

Rose wrapped her arms around him again, holding him tight.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

The Doctor frowned down at her. "What for?"

"I should've known Жemnas had a backup plan. All I could think of was gettin' you out, if I'd been more careful you wouldn't be infected…"

"That's rubbish Rose Tyler," the Doctor said instantly, pushing her away from him and holding her at arm's length. "Take that back."

She whimpered. "It's true though."

"No, it's not. This had nothing to do with you and there was nothing you could have done."

"This was Жemnas, Rose, even if you had managed to stop it poisonin' the Doctor Жemnas would have probably found a much more direct way to do it," Jack reasoned with her. She nodded, pressing against the Doctor's chest.

The lift doors buzzed open.

"Rose! Doctor! Jack!" called a terrified voice, that of Jhutsu. "Жemnas was just here…he had a gun…he killed everyone…"

Rose gasped, drawing away from the Doctor and stepping out onto the floor as the sound of the sonic screwdriver rang out from somewhere behind her. "He killed _everyone?!" _she repeated, unable to comprehend.

"I was hiding…he missed me…he was just laughing…" Jhutsu was shaking all over, obviously disturbed. "I was so scared…"

"Top floor did you say?" the Doctor asked, hand hovering over one of the lift buttons. Rose whirled back around, eyes ablaze.

"You're not goin' without me!!!"

"Rose, you can help here. A couple might have graze shots," he replied, looking wistfully around the dozen or so dead bodies that littered the floor. "As long as you keep your oxygen mask on you're safe." Rose opened her mouth angrily to cut in, but he smoothly interrupted her, facial expression one of annoyance. "No arguments! Do as I say and do it _now! _He's too dangerous, me and Jack will take care of him and you'll be safe here. I promised Jackie I'd look after you and you _will _listen and do as I say, now help these people and I _will_ be back to help within twenty minutes I promise you. Step away from the lift."

After a moment's hesitance, Rose stepped back to Jhutsu.

"Good girl. We'll be seeing you."

Rose watched as the lift doors smoothly closed, the Doctor and Jack ascended to the top floor.

* * *

"You can be scary when you want to y'know," Jack said quietly to break the ten second silence that had dawned on the two in the lift.

"She's got to know her boundaries," the Doctor replied simply, leaning back in his familiar corner. "I know at times it probably seems like I'm trying to stop her from having fun but sometimes humans can be so oblivious to what's going on around them. They never see the big picture."

"This is why you wouldn't let her out to find Жemnas, right?" Jack asked, looking the Doctor straight in the eye who nodded. "Did you know you were gonna have a seizure?"

The Doctor shook his head truthfully. "But now she's seen what this poison can do, she's going to start looking to the future. When I die the TARDIS takes you back to the Estate, you'll probably go back to where it was you came from, Rose will be left alone with her mother to grieve and in the end make nothing of herself. Though, she's human Jack, once she sees that she's going to start looking to end it _with_ me. I can't let it happen like that."

"You know about her feelin's for you?" Jack questioned, though already knew the answer as the Doctor confirmed his suspicions with a nod. "And what 'bout you?" he asked slowly, "do you love her too?"

The Doctor paused for a moment, taking in Jack's honest face before he opened his mouth to answer.

"Yes."

"Then what's the problem with gettin' it together?"

"Jack, I'm going to be dead in eight days, d'you _really _think me confessing my love for her is going to help when the day of mortality comes?"

"Okay, fair point," Jack admitted. "But what if we do find the antidote? Would you tell her then?" The Doctor looked at the ground, closing in on himself even more. "Doctor!" Jack demanded sternly, like a parent scolding their child.

The Doctor shrugged.

"Okay, promise me when we get the antidote-"

"_If _we get the antidote…" the Doctor corrected.

"_When _we get the antidote…" Jack reiterated. "You're gonna tell her how you feel."

"Okay," the Doctor nodded; watching the lift panel as they neared the top floor, floor five hundred. Convenient. "I, the Doctor, will tell Rose Tyler that I love her when we get the antidote." Though he knew he'd never get the chance to say it anyway, he might as well make Jack happy.

"Good," Jack said with a grin. "Finally! It's about time too."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"_Floor five hundred," _an automated voice said, and the lift doors slid smoothly open to reveal a giant wooden plated posh room, a desk at the far end with plenty of bookshelves and buzzing machinery along the sides. Behind the desk was a now open balcony, looking down on Zodonia so far below. But that was not what caught the Doctor's eye first of all – because standing infront of them was Zender Жemnas, gun raised, smiling broadly.

"Welcome to floor five hundred," he said, before looking over at Jack and frowning. "I thought I killed you?" he asked, confusion evident in his tone.

Jack shrugged, grinning. "You missed."

"Oh," was all he had to say, before he took aim at Jack and fired.

The Doctor looked over at the now dead Jack as Жemnas raised his gun at the Time Lord, beckoning him out of the lift. He obliged with his hands raised high in the air, allowing Жemnas to force him towards the desk at the end of the room as Жemnas quickly pressed a button for the lift, sending Jack's dead body back down to Rose and Jhutsu.

"Take off the equipment," Жemnas commanded, gesturing with his gun for him to move infront of the balcony. Unable to do anything else at the present time he took one last gasp of air, storing it within himself before taking off the oxygen mask and placing the tank to the side, hands immediately going into the air again as he stepped back towards the middle.

"How would you like to know where the antidote is?" Жemnas started, still training the gun on him as he moved forward to behind the desk where the Doctor was, forcing him to sit in the black leather chair. "Could it be…I don't know…" He gestured vaguely at a vase across the room. "…There? Or…" He pointed at a drawer in the desk. "…There?"

"Stop it, Жemnas!" the Doctor demanded angrily, sitting in the seat with his hands still in the air. "Fair enough if you want to kill me but millions of innocent people will die!"

"But millions will also survive!" Жemnas shot back, an evil smile broadening on his features. "With the Жemnas Amazing Miracle Cure, recommended retail price of five million dollars a sip!"

"You'd be executing half the Universe, hundreds of planets will be dead before you can get there, and probably only two in a thousand would be able to pay!"

"Well that's not my problem," Жemnas insisted, "five million. No more, no less."

"But…" the Doctor started up once more, trying to reason with the psychopath, "surely it would be more tactical to adjust the prices for the demand?"

"You're starting to annoy me," Жemnas grunted, " with your constant 'look-at-me' attitude and liability to turning up when and _where _you are not wanted. Give me one reason why I should keep you alive."

The Doctor paused, clicking his tongue for a moment as he thought it over. "Well, _partly_ because your gun is only capable of one shot anyway and _partly _because those lifts doors over there are about to open and reveal a few very angry looking friends of mine which means I'm almost the only thing you have at your mercy right now that you can use to keep yourself alive."

The lift doors slid open.

"Stop right there, Жemnas!" Jack yelled, a beast of a gun held in his arms pointing directly at Жemnas as the group moved forward out of the lift, finger over trigger. Accompanying him was Rose, Jhutsu and five perimeter guards, all wielding high tech looking guns now trained on Жemnas.

"Drop the gun and put your hands in the air!" one of the guards yelled, distinctly loading their firearm. Жemnas instantly grabbed out for the Doctor by the collar and dragged him roughly onto his feet, using him as a body shield with his gun against his head.

"Жemnas, you can't do anything now, you're surrounded with no exit, let him go," one of the guards said allowed, but to the group's horror Жemnas suddenly started to back to the balcony, taking the Doctor with him to the edge. Only a thin metal railing at waist height now separated the both of them from certain death.

Jack knew they had to act carefully. One wrong word and the Doctor was dead.

"Жemnas, please, let him go." Rose stepped forward slightly, begging Жemnas with her eyes.

"How about no?" he proposed, leaning slightly back on the railing.

"Жemnas, let him go, we can compromise, you've just go to let him go first," Jack said gently, trying to calm the psychopath down, his eyes connecting with the Doctor's.

"How could we possibly compromise?" Жemnas spat angrily, "I give you the Doctor and in return I get arrested? No thank you!"

He wrenched the Doctor backwards even more, the both of them struggling not to fall now. Rose gasped, rigid with fear and shock as she stared at the Doctor, and he gave her a half smile.

"Rose Tyler," he started, but it was all he got to say as Жemnas wrenched the both of them back over the balcony, and they began to fall to the ground.


	12. Holding Out For A Hero

**A/N: **"Somewhere after midnight...in my wildest fantasy...somewhere just beyond my reach, there's someone reaching back for me...I NEED A HERO!!! I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night..." **_Shrek 2 OST - Jennifer Saunders - Holding Out For A Hero. _**:D Very good song :) If you're wondering, I'm not at school 'cause I gave myself the day off - I have bad cramp :( Feeling good now though :D

* * *

Chapter 11 – Holding Out For A Hero

_"Do you want to know where the antidote is Doctor?!" Жemnas screamed, hissing in his ear as if he were a venomous snake out for the strike, the both of them hurtling towards the ground, and certain death. "I suppose it doesn't matter now because you're about to die, so I'll tell you so you can mull about it in heaven," he paused, feeling the gravity pull them faster downwards in their fall. "The antidote is on the island."_

* * *

Jhutsu was in just a teensy bit of pain. 

Of course, the dictionary's definition of 'teensy' was: 'teeny; tiny', but perhaps teeny or tiny wasn't quite the right word for it. Okay, he rethought, more like 'gargantuan' or 'mountainous'…yes, that was it. This was probably the most pain he'd ever been in for the entirety of his short, but refuged life.

His mother had been a simple woman, neat dress, thin smile and her hair in a tidy bun. His father had been a labourer, who worked hard to bring back the food to the dinner table with a little money set-aside each week for a special Christmas dinner. Small time family in the slums of Pero, sealed out of the way of any tourists happening to pry.

He had always been a quiet boy, not particularly intelligent or talented but he was the average boy of the class. He hadn't enough money to afford expensive items like the kind that came from the dreamland of 'Zodonia', which seemed like its own Utopia. He always swore to his mother when he was old enough he would go there, get some money and buy them both a big house.

His parents had both been so excited when he came of age, enough money in his piggy bank to catch one shuttle ticket to Zodonia and rent a small room for one for a month. He had spent most of that month trudging around the various shops and markets stall trying to find some work, only to be met by failure.

He couldn't pay the next month's rent, so he packed up his few items and left with a letter of apology on the desk. He could never bear to disappoint people anyway, never mind face to face. He'd stayed on the street for a night, only to be awoken by a strange looking boy around his age, calling himself Amrok. He'd offered him a job, and a place to stay free of charge until he earnt enough to buy something for himself.

Then suddenly he was employed by the Жemnas Corporation. No interview, no word with the boss, no nothing. He'd been frankly surprised, donning his new uniform with pride and standing in line of a dozen or so other poor boys, all yearning for money and places to stay.

He bought his own tiny house, a car that was basically an engine on four wheels covered in cardboard – but that didn't matter. He'd never felt so rich and he knew if he saved up for long enough he'd be able to bring his mother and father to Zodonia.

But then the War came.

List of dead: Gerok Porther. Francia Porther. Two names in a million, and he knew he'd never see them again.

But Zodonia had not been without its losses of course. Everyone helped to rebuild Zodonia, and work had finished in just a year. Although he knew he'd helped a lot Jhutsu still had never done anything daring with his life. Never went out down the pub just to make new friends, never went out to explore the streets or even eaten a Zodonian Super Hot Chilli.

He didn't really know what had come over him really. One minute he was just standing drop-jawed staring out the balcony windows, the next he was flying through the air, determined to save the Doctor.

And save the Doctor he had. Just about.

As Jhutsu lay in excruciating pain on the pavement outside the mental hospital, he slowly turned his head to look through the sliding double doors that afforded a view of the mental hospital reception. He could see the Doctor lying on the ground as he was, though he still seemed to be unconscious. He had no idea what the fall had done to the Doctor; after all, he wasn't the one with wings.

Jhutsu had thrown himself over the balcony with Rose screaming in his ears, falling down next to the Doctor and grabbing him as he spread long, spindly blue wings, ripping through his shirt. Жemnas had howled in rage with his own green wings spread out, initiating a full force slam into them – still in mid-air – and throwing them into the side of the mental hospital. With impact injuries and a throbbing head Jhutsu knew he couldn't fly them both to the ground now – so he had pushed the Doctor to the side ensuring he would smash through the glass roof of reception, his main notion being to try and break his fall for the sake of a few cuts.

Then Jhutsu had tried to control his landing with his wings – almost succeeding – but he lost their energy inches from the ground. He'd never done anything heroic in his life – and now he had, he felt good.

He could hear the frantic shouting and swearing of the staff of the mental hospital, first of all challenged by Жemnas' psychotic escapade and now a man has just fallen through the ceiling. He groaned a little for the pain, forcing himself to sit up, retract his wings and pull himself together. After a few moments he was standing, if but a little unsteadily as he made his way back through the double doors, hand clutching his burning wrist.

There was the sudden rush of running footsteps as Jack, Rose and the guards arrived into the Reception, stunned to see the giant hole in the roof…although only a partial amount of the Doctor could be seemed through the milling crowd. Jack cast his eyes over to a pained looking Jhutsu, giving a reassuring smile. He and Rose made their way through the onlookers until they were standing directly at the front, staring down at the heap on the floor lying on a mountain of glass.

"Doctor!" Rose almost wailed, just about to run over and shake him, but Jack quickly held an obstructing hand out.

"Rose, stay back, there's glass everywhere," he warned her quickly, striding out first instead to the fallen Doctor. He rested two fingers on his neck – still had a pulse.

"Doctor wake up for me…"

The Doctor's eyes snapped open in an instant.

He was surprised to be gazing straight above himself at a hole in the ceiling. There were sharp pains in his back and it hurt to even move his head. His shoulder seemed to be touching his spine and now Jack seemed to be standing over him, looking evidently concerned.

"Don't move," he said in a strong voice. The Doctor stared at him, bewildered.

"Do you _think _I'd move?" he asked seriously, before letting go a moan of pain for the agonising sensation currently screaming through his shoulder.

"Not really," Jack replied with a grin. "I'll move you. Hang on…"

"No…Jack…wait…Jack…" the Doctor tried to protest as Jack slipped his arms beneath him and lifted him up from the shards of broken glass. "Ja…arrgh…my shoulder…Jack…ow…ow…"

Jack carried him protesting and moaning across reception, putting him as gently as he could onto one of the waiting chairs they'd been sat on less than an hour ago.

Jack proceeded to examine his right arm carefully, Rose coming by his side with the oxygen mask from floor five hundred she'd brought down with her and putting it on his face. She then started to check his head for signs of damage, relief cascading through her to see the Doctor so alive when just a moment ago he'd seemed like a corpse; probably the most eerie sight she'd seen for a while.

"Does this hurt?" Jack asked minimally, pressing a point on his shoulder.

"Yes," he grunted in reply.

"This?" He pressed another point.

"Yes…"

"How about…" – he grabbed the Doctor's entire arm and wrenched it roughly – "THIS?!"

"AGH!" the Doctor suddenly yelled in agony and alarm as bones could be heard clicking loudly back into place. It made Rose's feet tingle and she drew him into a tight hug, being careful not to hurt him.

"I'll call an ambulance," a voice from the crowd suddenly piped up, but the Doctor quickly shook his head – and then regretted it instantly.

"No point. Jack, I know where the antidote is, Жemnas told me when we were falling," he said quickly, secretly enjoying Rose's displays of affection but knew he should never waste time with a hug. "It's on the island."

Jack paused for a moment, as if expecting more – but he didn't get it.

"…What island?" he asked obviously, wondering to himself whether he'd missed something extremely vital or not.

"I dunno. That's all he said. The island."

"The island?" repeated a familiar voice from beside them, and they looked up to see Jhutsu staggering towards them, having thankfully dispersed the crowd. "Is that 'the island', or 'The Island'?"

Rose frowned at him. "What's the difference?"

"'The Island' is a computer game Жemnas wrote when you were still trapped."

Silence instantly dawned on the three like thick smog. There was a brief pause before the Doctor suddenly bounded onto his feet, energy returning as though someone had just stabbed some adrenaline into one of his hearts.

"Then what're we waiting for?! Let's go!"

* * *

**A/N: **Ooo, guess what? It's been a while since I did this! 

_Chapter 12 – The World Is Outside_

_ Jack and Rose watched as the water began to fill the pod, and the Doctor waved his last wave as the water took his weight, and the sedate pumped freely into his arm. He blinked slowly a few times, eyes finally fully shutting as the water enveloped his head. A few more seconds, and the pod was once again completely filled. He looked exactly how he had the last time she'd found him - his hair waving out like reeds in the water that contained him, making him seem angelic. So still, so unDoctorish, she had thought._

:D_  
_


	13. The World Is Outside

**A/N: **(Rushes to do everything whilst internet comes back on) And the song is...drum roll please...! (Da-da-da-DUM! Da-da-da-DUM!) Err, forget the drum roll... _**The Ghosts - The World Is Outside. **_Another awesome song. You're slowly unveiling my playlist.

* * *

Chapter 12 – The World Is Outside

It was staring at her with a sneer of smugness. Even though it had no eyes she could feel its cold gaze resting on her, or rather, all of them. She unintentionally shivered. The Doctor felt her quiver and reached out his right arm, drawing her in for a silent hug.

He remembered the pod. How could he forget? And now he was stood there staring impassively into it, memories flying back at him with sharpened arrowheads. It was amazing how such a harmless and perhaps novel looking object could hold such memories of regret.

He recalled how they'd both awoken in the deserted manor grounds. How they had found their own grave in the grass, filled. How they had entered the manor and he'd been helplessly chained to the floor, forced to watch Rose die…

He shook his head to clear the thoughts. Now, that wasn't why he was here. He was here to get in that pod and enter the game, find the antidote, save the Universe. Business as usual, then.

"I should be able to help you in-game from here," Jhutsu was saying, cutting through his fog of thoughts and gesturing at the computer he was stood infront of with lights flashing everywhere. "Magically make items appear, that kinda stuff. You can only get hurt in-game, but as for your destination I can't help you. I have no idea what's in this game. The memory filters that make you forget the outside world and make the game seemed like reality should be switched off, but you may take a little time to adjust to it."

"What about the poison feed?" Rose questioned.

"I deactivated it," the Doctor answered for Jhutsu who had barely even opened his mouth. He carried on, regardless.

"You ready, Doctor?" he asked, and the Doctor nodded. He took off first his oxygen mask, holding the breath as he next took off his overcoat and gave it to Rose.

"Good luck," Jhutsu said strongly as he made eye contact with the Doctor, and he nodded back. He turned back to Rose and Jack, Rose giving a half smile of support as Jack waved. He grinned back at them both, turning around to the pod once more.

The pod in question was a clear glass shell, looking like a stretched egg-shaped cocoon of some kind. Machines lined the walls of the tiny room they were in, wires running across the floor in all kinds of shapes, colours and sizes. A couple of machines stood next to the pod, feeding tubes through the glass of the pod that were used to keep the occupant alive, just as the Doctor had been kept alive and sedated in the pod for three months.

He waited until the door of the pod opened, to which he then stepped boldly inside. He began to attach the tubes to his arms (Except for the now non-active red coloured one, which was the poison feed) as the door hissed shut, sealing and locking automatically into place.

He drew the oxygen mask over his face and gave a thumbs-up to Jhutsu, waiting patiently for the activation to begin.

Jack and Rose watched as the water began to fill the pod, and the Doctor waved his last wave as the water took his weight, and the sedate pumped freely into his arm. He blinked slowly a few times, eyes finally fully shutting as the water enveloped his head. A few more seconds, and the pod was once again completely filled. He looked exactly how he had the last time she'd found him - his hair waving out like reeds in the water that contained him, making him seem angelic. So still, so unDoctorish, she had thought.

"Let's go Rose," Jack muttered in her ear, hand now resting on her shoulder. He too was admittedly disturbed by the Doctor's stillness, immobility that was not _him. _He couldn't imagine the Time Lord _dying._

He turned and led the girl – who was still clutching the trenchcoat – after Jhutsu, who was taking them to a small confined room opposite. In the covertly lit room Rose could see two of the Dentist-like chairs sat in the middle, the familiar heavy metal body armour sat ready and waiting for usage. Unlike _Time Catcher, The Island _(Not much of an innovative name Rose had to point out) was multiplayer, intended for two people working alongside the Doctor as a team.

Silently, the two began to clamp themselves in.

Soon they were lying ready on the chairs, the both of them reached up to their helmets.

"Ready?" Jack asked.

"Ready," Rose confirmed.

"Three, two, one…"

* * *

The ship was in motion. 

After a brief moment of silence, the Doctor and Rose had awoken from the bottom bunk of the **Overdrive**, only to find the ship was infested with pirates due to Jack's warning. Like heroes the two men had hidden Rose and offered themselves to the lusting outlaws who had broken the door of the cabin down, then to be forced onto the top deck – the Doctor being made to walk the plank until he spoke of the girl's whereabouts.

He had remained silent, Jack with him before Rose suddenly appeared from behind the pirate Captain and threatening him with a musket. The pirate crew did her bidding before the tables were suddenly overturned – and the musket was suddenly pointing at her from the Captain's grip. There was a brief scandal as the Doctor and Jack forced themselves free, and the Captain was killed in the fire of the musket wielded by the angered Doctor on the now silent deck – Jack doing a good job of slicing through the masses of pirate minions.

Then everything happened so fast the Doctor had been sure he could have done nothing about it, even if he had known about it before. Evidently Jack had missed a member of the crew, who had taken the time to pop down to the ship's cargo stores and take a free box of gunpowder.

Rose could only watch in Jack's arms as the pirate lit the gunpowder – and everything exploded.

Rose and Jack fell unconscious instantly, the blast throwing their helpless bodies smashing through the wooden fence of the ship and scattering into the sea below. The Doctor was sent careering over the fence and onto the deck below of the other ship, hitting it with a force that this time took him out cold. He slid down the deck and toppled over the railing into the sea, plunging down into the dark depths of coldness.

**Level 1: Complete!  
Loading…**

* * *

**A/N: **Ooo, I bet you were wondering how the hell I'd get back around to it, right? Well, so did I, at first. We're finally there though! This story's gonna be way longer than the prequel. I don't think as much as the Rambles but I don't really have anything worked out in my head right now. We'll see. 

No preview coz I'm giving you two chapters, purely because this chapter is the filler in explanation to anyone who is reading this without knowing what the prequel was about, and therefore is a drag to the loyal reader :PI lose reviews, I know, but what the hell, I love to keep people happy!**  
**


	14. On An Island

**A/N: **I'm slowly figuring out what this story is an amalgamation of...:

Prince Of Persia: Warrior Within, Pirates Of The Caribbean 2, Final Fantasy X and XI, Scary Movie 3, Kingdom Hearts 1, The Scorpion King, Xena: Warrior Princess, Shaun Of The Dead, Blackadder The Third, Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Lost, James Bond: Die Another Day, Fable, Firefly, Quantum Leap, The Mummy Returns, Takin' Over The Asylum...will add more when they come to mind...

_**The Ordinary Boys - On An Island...**_"We're on an island in the seeeeeeeea!" Now DON'T tell me that's got nothing to do with this chapter :P

* * *

Chapter 13 – On An Island

The problem with living in London was that going to the beach was such a rare occurrence that anytime they _did_ go would be a holiday in itself, even if it was just for one day.

Travelling with the Doctor, however delightful and enthralling it might be, they never seemed to land on any beaches. There had been that one time of course, where the TARDIS had malfunctioned mid-flight and they'd had to make an emergency landing on a vaguely unknown planet – only to come across a beautiful golden beach. They'd walked barefoot across the sand just as the twin Suns had started to set on the horizon, bathing the entire beach in a warm golden glow.

Hand in hand they sat down on the soft sands, gazing out across the warm turquoise sea. The beach was utterly deserted and never had she felt more at peace with herself or her surroundings.

She described her innermost feelings to him then, apart from the obvious of course. He in turn had listened and not uttered one downgrading comment and for that she felt special. Shortly after that they'd walked into the sea together, splashing each other as though they were just teenagers in love. They'd then settled back on the beach, kicking at the sand and talking for just a few hours until Rose finally drifted off to sleep on his chest.

Although it seemed so long ago now she often wished it would happen again, and now as she opened her bleary eyes to the unfocused world she realised that perhaps when she'd fallen asleep at that beach, she'd been dreaming ever since. She started to unconsciously claw at the ground, feeling the warm sand between her fingers.

Still half asleep she adjusted herself on the Doctor's chest, which rose and fell as he breathed contentedly in and out. Were they still on that beach, asleep on the sand? If they were she'd moved a little bit – her entire top half seemed to be draped over him now.

"Doctor?" she muttered blearily, opening her eyes to come face to face with a mop of brown hair. She drew back instantly, registering his unconscious form in her vision. Okay, so this wasn't their beach. This was…this was…_The Island_. Yes, that was it. _The Island, _a computer game. They were finding the antidote…the antidote to the poison the Doctor was going to die from in eight days.

Oh God…he was going to die.

Suddenly for no reason, she was crying. Just the mere thought of him not…not living…

"Okay Rose, control yourself!" she whispered sharply to herself, climbing off of the Doctor and cupping his left cheek with her right hand carefully. "Just calm…he's gonna be fine…"

She brushed back his now ungelled floppy sun-dried hair from his eyes, never before realising how long it was before he gelled it up. She leant down and gently kissed his cheek – judging her actions more by friendship than actual love. She couldn't possibly tell him what he truly meant to her – even Jack with a whip and a thong probably couldn't make him run faster.

She pushed herself up a little, looking around at the view. Behind them was a large beach that possibly stretched all around the edge of the island, surrounded by beautiful blue water. There was absolutely nothing on the horizon. There was a thick forest in front of them, thriving with fruit on the trees – a perfect island. This really _was_ Lost. Speaking of Jacks, where was Jack, anyway? They needed to find him and get the antidote as soon as possible, save the Doctor and the Universe.

"Come on Doctor, we need to get goin'…" He didn't move. "Oh for God's sake, do I have to carry you?! 'Cause if I have to, I will!" No response. "Doctor? DOCTOR! Right, fine, I'm carryin' you!"

She bent down, sliding her hands underneath him and bracing herself before lifting him off of the sand, grunting with the effort of his weight.

"Geez, for a thin guy you ain't half heavy!!!" she gasped, using every ounce of her strength to inch his limp body over her shoulder in a Fireman's lift.

Gasping, she began to stagger into the forest.

* * *

Jack was feeling just the tiniest bit alone. 

He'd been trudging through this forest for twenty minutes now to found nothing. Sure, he'd found a bee's nest and had accidentally kicked it, but – although it had been considerably more than a nothing – it hadn't been the thing he was really looking for.

He was starting to get worried. What if Rose had drowned? What if the Doctor had had another seizure and whacked his head? Usually the Doctor had a good sense of direction and could tell where his companions were; he would have found them both by now unless he was somehow incapacitated.

Jack sighed; wondering if cheats actually existed in this game. From what the Doctor and Rose had said about _Time Catcher _the only hope that existed was Jhutsu – again the only hope now. Loudly, he began to pray to the Heavens where Jhutsu dwelled.

"Gimme a pointer!"

"Jack? Is that you?"

"Rose!" he called back, following the sound of her voice through a clump of bushes to an opening in the forest. He could see Rose across the open-ground, staggering towards him with…was that the _Doctor _on her shoulders?

"Help Jack!" she moaned, "I heard somethin' click in my back!"

He laughed out loud, unable to hold it in as he started forward towards her, helping the Doctor off of her and lowering him to the ground for a moment for Rose to get the feeling back in her shoulders.

"What's the time?" she asked, rubbing her lower back.

He checked his watch – before vaguely wondering whether the time was actually right on it. He decided not to trust it, instead straining his head to see through a gap in the trees to hopefully the Sun.

"Well, either we should try and set up some kind of camp until the Doctor wakes up, or we could drag him around with us and try to find a village or somethin'."

"Jack," Rose began with an eyebrow raised, "even if we _do _find a species intelligent enough to talk to us vaguely with hand gestures what's the bettin' they're gonna wanna eat us or y'know, sacrifice us to their Gods? Or even make _us _their Gods? Have you never _seen _Pirates Of The Caribbean 2?"

"With the freaky painted eyes? Oh yeah! Classic movie!"

"Oh, and I've always wondered…Captain Jack Sparrow, and Captain Jack Harkness…?"

He grinned. "Coincidence! Can I help it if everyone names their fictional characters after me?"

She giggled, looking back down at the Doctor once more, kicking him softly in the side. "Bloody wake _up _you moron," she muttered menacingly, before Jack rested a preventing hand on her arm.

"Whoa Rose, he just needs a little time to adjust. Give him a bit."

"Yeah well…." She said with sigh, crouching down next to him. "Him taking a nap doesn't help. At all. All he does now is sleep…it's so unlike him…"

He dropped down also, drawing her into a comforting hug. "I know. Look, we _are _gonna find that antidote so stop worryin'. We're just gonna have to start without him for the sec." He let go of her after a few more moments, sliding his hands instead under the Doctor and throwing him around his shoulders, a lot more gracefully than Rose had done.

"Light as a feather, Rose!" He beamed, adjusting him a little. Rose scowled. He winced. "…Lead the way, of course."

* * *

**A/N: **I always _did _wonder about Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Jack Harkness.

_Chapter 14 – Who Do You Think You Are?_

"Jikan no omona ra, yuiitsu no 1 sai naranai. Anatano namae no hanase ba meiyo wo atae rareru," the leader said, pointing at the Doctor.

_Rose bit her lip. "Wish I knew what the Hell they were sayin'…" _

_"Watashi ha isha dearu!" the Doctor declared, and there were gasps from the gathered crowd. The leader drew his sword out of its sheath, striding towards the Doctor with confidence. _


	15. Who Do You Think You Are?

**A/N: IMPORTANT!** First and foremost: the language used in this is _**Romaji**_, which is a form of Japanese, if you will. I've never ever taken a stab into Gallifreyan language before; I've never been that daring. But the other day I needed to make him speak it somehow and I determined Gallifreyan would be a flowy, pretty language...kind of vaguely like French, but that would just be stupid. I finally decided on Romaji, which is the lingo of Japanese video games. Coz I love 'em.

You gotta run the English through two translators - first to Japanese, then the Japanese to Romaji so a lot of the accuracy is gonna be lost anyway. Besides, I don't _want _it to be accurate - it's supposed to be an entirely different language anyway...

All the Romaji'll calm down the next chapter, then totally gone the one after that. Then it's the poison hunt! Rawr! This one's gonna be a lot more video-gamey. We're talking serious Prince Of Persia style combat :D Mainly coz I find that kinda stuff sexy. Infact, most of my turn ons are concealed in some form in this story. I dig a guy with a horse, sword and armour. That's probably highly irregular.

Right, I'm talking about sex again, aren't I? It's the hormones.

_**Who Do You Tink You Are? - Spice Girls.**_ I LOVED 'em when I was...seven...

* * *

Chapter 14 – Who Do You Think You Are?

"Great goin', Jack!"

Sarcasm was the order of the day as Jack looked innocently back at the young human girl through the makeshift bars of the three wooden cages gathered in a crescent shape they'd just been thrown into.

"Hey, I would've appreciated some input!" he said indignantly, having would've folded his arms were they not tied together.

"You told the bug guy he had a nice bum!"

"It was a _compliment!"_

"He didn't speak a word of English!"

"Well _I_ can't speak a word of Gargle Flargle!"

Suddenly a chesty coughing sound broke the air from the cage in between them, and Jack looked down to see the Doctor with his head in his arms coughing as though he was trying to get out something stuck in his lungs.

"Welcome back to consciousness!" Jack snapped, now getting a little agitated. He hated small spaces. "Take your time!"

"Are you alright?" Rose asked gently, trying to be a little more constructive than the idiot in the cage across from the Doctor's.

"Yeah," he groaned, "just the after effects of the…" – he coughed again – "…sedate, just gimme a second to adjust…"

He looked up at Rose with tired eyes, regarding her for a moment as he tried to get his bearings. "R-Rose, right?" he ventured, and she nodded, looking over at Jack with a frown evident.

"_Memory filters," _he mouthed silently. She nodded. Jhutsu had said it would take him a moment to figure himself out. The Doctor gave her a small grin, forcing himself to come together. She gave a watery one back as he lifted himself onto two hands, and looked around at his surroundings.

"Okay Jack," he said with a sigh, pausing only to issue another chesty cough. "What've you done this time?"

Jack started to protest innocence as Rose talked loudly over him, "he insulted the chief of the tribe."

"Smooth moves," the Doctor said, and Rose could almost hear his rolling eyes. The Doctor pressed his face against the wooden bars to the world beyond the cage.

"Hello? Yes? You!" One of the tribe, probably acting as their guard turned around, revealing a humanoid shape of a person, wearing heavy leathers, wielded with a sword and shield. They also looked rather fat – yet even so, you wouldn't become between _this _guy and a doughnut. "Sorry, there's been a terrible mix up…"

"Shuujin ha hanasa nai!" he snapped back, and the Doctor's eyes widened.

"Watashi ha jikan no shu dearu," he said softly back.

The guard seemed to freeze into position, taking a moment of surprise before suddenly jerking back to reality, stomping over to the Doctor drawing his sword, raising it threateningly in the air.

"Aru! Chousen gasonoyouna boutoku woikani shiyousu ruka!" he spat.

"Watashi hanai, Rassilon no namae niyotte watashi gaanatano kami deari, anatano rida ni hanashi taikotowo watashi ha chikau."

His face dropped. He nodded instantly, turning and running away across the camp, yelling the foreign language excitedly. Other members of the tribe gasped, dirty faces turning to them in shock.

"What'd you tell 'em?" Jack asked; looking back at the Doctor who was just lying on the floor of his cage at a strange angle, staring at the ceiling absorbed in thought. He shook his head in reply to the Time Agent, a frown creasing across his forehead.

"Something's not right here. I think Mr. Жemnas has been poking about where he's not wanted."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rose asked, and the Doctor slowly turned around to face her, never before his eyes seeming so deep and intelligent.

"They're speaking Gallifreyan."

Rose became confused for a moment, a little slow on the uptake. "But…I thought only you knew Gallifreyan?"

He didn't even move as he uttered his next word.

"Exactly."

"He's been lookin' inside your mind," Jack stated more than asked. The Doctor's gaze was still on Rose's as he nodded.

"This place is your mind?" Rose broke out in a grin, reaching through the bars with her tied hands enough to touch his head. "You got a _beach _in that thing?!"

He coughed again. "Well, no, not exactly," he admitted, unconsciously edging a tiny bit towards her. "More taking slices of my memory and inputting them into a format already made." He tried to reposition, moaning as his back rang out a few unhealthy clicks. "Agh…how long have we been in here?"

"Couple of hours," Jack replied airily.

Then for the first time, Jack realised they were being watched. The Doctor seemed to have noticed too, giving a wave to the crowd of gathered onlookers.

"Soreha kare dearu! Soreha jikan no shu dearu!" they were saying over and over again, pointing at the Doctor with expressions of disbelief. Every one of them were peasants, no doubt. This was an extremely mixed up game – there seemed to be pirates on stormy waters, beaches of paradise, villagers from the middle ages and thriving forests blossoming with rich and succulent fruits. It was all a tad bit unorganised, she thought. Well, that was the problem with entering only a half-developed game; everything was so un-BETA-ed.

Another voice joined the chorus, a loud, booming one. The strength of it was easily heightened over the others, instantly cutting them off.

"Jikan no shu!" he boomed, the voice belonging to a well armoured and wielded leader of a man, sported by guards either side of him. He gestured to the cage the Doctor was held in, and the guards immediately swarmed.

"Doctor!" Rose yelled as he was taken out of the cage to the apparent 'leader', held at sword point. He was forced to his knees as Rose understandably more and more anxious. She glanced sideward at Jack.

"Jikan no omona ra, yuiitsu no 1 sai naranai. Anatano namae no hanase ba meiyo wo atae rareru," the leader said, pointing at the Doctor.

Rose bit her lip. "Wish I knew what the Hell they were sayin'…"

"Watashi ha isha dearu!" the Doctor declared, and there were gasps from the gathered crowd. The leader drew his sword out of its sheath, striding towards the Doctor with confidence.

"Jiyuu kuteno kami deatsute kudasai!" he shouted, raising the sword in the air above the Doctor. Rose's heart began to beat a crescendo in her throat, almost choking her with the fear and horror at what was being presented before her. She screamed for the Time Lord as the crowded masses erupted in cries and cheers.

The sharp sword sliced clean through the ropes binding his wrists, not leaving a hint of a scratch in its wake. The Doctor pushed himself onto his feet unsteadily, glancing awkwardly around as the entire crowd – leader included – got down onto one knee and bowed their heads infront of him.

He turned around to Rose and Jack with a grin in place, giving a small shrug.

* * *

**A/N:** _Chapter 15 – I Think We're Alone Now_

"_Anata oyobi anatano utsukushi i tsuma notame, osu oya," he said, and Rose almost burst into hysterics as the Doctor's cheeks became instantly pink in embarrassment._

"_A-Arigatou," he seemed to stutter, gripping onto Rose's hand even tighter to stop her moving away with Jack and the leader to the next room._

"_What?" she asked as he settled her down onto the bed gently._

"_He err…" He looked away, still obviously embarrassed. "…Thinks we're married so umm, this is **our** bed."_


	16. I Think We're Alone Now

**A/N: **I tidied _half _my room today. I think that deserves a trophy.

Song: **_I Think We're Alone Now - Tiffany_**. Probably on of my fave songs ever :D

* * *

Chapter 15 – I Think We're Alone Now

"So, you're a God," Jack repeated for the twenty-fifth time since the Doctor had explained, munching on a spare leg of lamb that was the last of the meal the village had willingly prepared for them. The Doctor sighed, fidgeting on the edge of his seat.

"Yes, Jack. Since I'm a Time Lord and therefore the master of Gallifreyan, these people see me as God." He shifted again on the edge of the tree trunk he was sat on, trying hopelessly to contain his instinct to the direction of the antidote. He could feel it in his bones, the way his teeth itched, the hairs on the back of his neck jumped to attention and all pointing in the same direction. What were they doing wasting time here for? They needed to get going, and they needed to get going _now._

Rose watched him carefully, still rubbing her wrists from the cuts of the ropes. She extended a hand to him and rested it gently on his shoulder.

"Hey, calm. We need help, right? They're gonna offer it to us so we can get there in double quick time," she said with a smile, and he smiled slightly back. He was shaking his head though, checking the position of the Sun. It was getting dark.

"It's too late to set off now. We're gonna have to stay here for the night anyway," he muttered back, looking back over to the camp where he could see the leader strutting towards him, still flanked by guards.

"Anatano shinshitsu ha junbi sareru," he said, and the Doctor nodding, thanking him back in Gallifreyan as he took Rose's hand and pulled her onto her feet with him.

"They've made some bedrooms for us," he explained as the leader turned and started back to the tent, his armour chinking with every step. Rose gave the Doctor a helpful smile and he shot one back – although Rose could tell it was horribly forced as he worried inside.

"We'll be fine," she tried to reassure him again, but he didn't even turn his head to look at her as he pulled her across the village. He felt strange as everywhere he turned people were bowing and curtseying, lowering to their knees. He'd be glad to get out of this place.

The leader led them into a tent, gesturing at a huge king-sized bed sat in the middle of the elaborate room, the entirety draped with furs and beautiful, precious curtains. The carved wooden shelves were stacked with temperamental ornaments and decorations – a chamber fit for a God.

"Anata oyobi anatano utsukushi i tsuma notame, osu oya," he said, and Rose almost burst into hysterics as the Doctor's cheeks became instantly pink in embarrassment.

"A-Arigatou," he seemed to stutter, gripping onto Rose's hand even tighter to stop her moving away with Jack and the leader to the next room.

"What?" she asked as he settled her down onto the bed gently.

"He err…" He looked away, still obviously embarrassed. "…Thinks we're married so umm, this is _our_ bed."

She rolled her eyes at him instantly, bouncing onto her feet and reaching up to her jacket zip and drawing it down infront of him.

"Well better get to bed then," she said, regarding the Doctor casually with hawk eyes as she threw the vibrant pink jacket onto a side chair, reaching down to the zip of her jeans.

"Umm, yeah, 'course." He couldn't seem to move his eyes off of her as she casually stripped down right in front of him like they _were _a married couple.

He span around on the bed instantly, turning to face the wooden wall.

Normally she'd be as modest as possible when she was faced with a situation like this, but right now Rose didn't care. He still hadn't moved from staring at the wall as she slid under the fur woven covers dressed in nothing but her t-shirt and girl boxers, deciding to preserve some of his sanity by not stripping down to her bra. She watched him for a moment still staring motionless at the wall, before giving an obvious 'cough'.

He jumped.

"You gonna get changed or what?"

"Uh, yeah," he murmured inaudibly, hesitating for a second before getting onto his feet, stiffly removing his overcoat and Jacket, shortly followed by his shirt to reveal he was wearing a vest. She could easily see the cuts in his right arm. He sat down on the bed, still not turning to face her as the converses came slipping off, then he reached up to undo his trousers.

She watched and regarded his black boxers approvingly, not even getting a chance to see anything else before he hastily slid under the covers, still not daring to turn around throughout the entirety of it. He curled up into a ball as far away from her as possible, hugging his knees.

"Doctor…" she sang gently, reaching out to touch him on the shoulder. He drew away from her touch as though it had scalded him, grabbing the furry pillow and smashing it with a fist, as if trying to take his contained frustrations out on the pillow to make it bouncier before throwing it back under his head.

Rose rolled her eyes, blowing out the only lit candle on her beside table and turning back to watch him in the little light the moon provided.

"Doctor…" she called again, watching the cover rise and fall with his now balanced intakes of air. "Doctor…"

He didn't move.

"Great," she sighed, turning back over to face the ceiling. "Now you're ignorin' me. Frigid guy, arentcha?"

No reply.

"Honest, even a gay man would get closer than this. I know Jack would. Must be as cold as ice between your legs."

She turned her head back to him, grinning slightly to herself as the cover seemed to rise and fall a lot more erratically.

"I know you're not sleepin' yet. I could keep you awake _all _night if I wanted. Doctor, Doctor…" she began to sing again, the pitch steadily rising, "Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor…"

The Doctor started ahead into the wall, trying in vain to block the sound of her voice out as it got louder and louder in his ears. He tried to suppress his involuntary shaking but failed – miserably.

"…Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor…"

He gripped tightly onto the pillow as he clenched his eyes shut tight, gritting his teeth, knuckles sheer white with his pure mental determination to keep her blocked out. It wasn't working.

"Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doc–"

He suddenly whirled around on the bed and grabbed her face tightly in both hands, pressing a long, hard, passionate kiss on her lips. Rose was startled to say the least, blinking in surprise as she just laid there in his kiss trying to figure out for the life of her what was actually happening.

He ripped his lips off of hers and dropped her back into the pillows, drawing back and staring at her looking a little more than angry.

"_Now _will you shut up?!" he groused, staring at her hard. There was a brief pause between them, before they both gave into temptation and fell into each other's arms.

* * *

**A/N:** _Chapter 16 – Wake Up Call_

_"I had sex with her last night," he said straight, staring into Jack's eyes._

_"Thanks for the info, Doc," Jack muttered back, checking the area for the girl in question to make sure they weren't being overheard as he swallowed the last of his toast._

_"I don't know what to do Jack," he said weakly, eyes disconnecting from Jack's and slowly travelling to the floor. "I couldn't stop it. It was just…this wasn't meant to happen." His head dropped loosely into his hands. "How did it happen?"_


	17. Wake Up Call

**A/N: _Wake Up Call - Maroon 5_** :D

Whoa, that relationship between the Doctor and Rose dramatically escalated in way I actually got surprised by. It just sort of..._happened. _For me and for them. Oh well. It's all a plot, isn't it? And stories generally need plots. A mistake I have a tendency to make.

* * *

Chapter 16 – Wake Up Call

The Doctor opened his eyes.

He was only vaguely aware of the person lying next to him, her arms wrapped around his chest with her head in the crook of his arm as memories of the previous night flashed through his mind. He'd…they'd…had they?

He heard her softly moan as part of a pleasurable dream, her hands gently clawing at his chest hair. He was completely naked as was she – everything that had happened gradually beginning to sink in, along with the sheer horror of the situation.

As carefully yet as hastily as he could, he moved away from her and got out of bed. He quickly donned his clothes before looking back at her lying still and sleeping, her slim figure creating a perfect shape in the fur covers of the bed. Her long blonde hair splayed onto the pillow with her beautiful face sporting a warm smile from her dream and the Doctor had only just got enough consciousness back to find he was kissing her on the forehead.

"No…" he whispered to himself, shaking his head and pulling swiftly away. _"No_…"

He turned, and ran.

* * *

Jack was humming happily to himself as he ate the well-prepared breakfast of marmalade on toast, not even pausing to wonder how the hell there was bread or marmalade on a paradise island. He looked up and smiled at the girl who had made it for him, giving her a flash of the old Harkness teeth. 

"Thank you ma'am, it's goin' down a treat." She giggled a little, taking his now drained cup of tea and running off to make some more.

"Jack, I need to talk to you," the Doctor's voice interrupted his munching and he looked up at the Time Lord standing there with an impossible _glow _to his otherwise drained features, the internal battle with the poison still going on.

"I'm listenin'."

The Doctor even seemed to completely ignore the marmalade toast and the smell of tea as he took a seat next to Jack, casually looking around to check the coast was clear.

"I had sex with her last night," he said straight, staring into Jack's eyes.

"Thanks for the info, Doc," Jack muttered back, checking the area for the girl in question to make sure they weren't being overheard as he swallowed the last of his toast.

"I don't know what to do Jack," he said weakly, eyes disconnecting from Jack's and slowly travelling to the floor. "I couldn't stop it. It was just…this wasn't meant to happen." His head dropped loosely into his hands. "How did it happen?"

Jack reached up to grip the Time Lord's shoulder, supporting the older man. "I know. That's a question I ask myself the mornin' after _everytime _it happens."

"What do I do?"

Jack's eyes widened, incredulous. _"You're _askin' for _my _help? Geez, this really has screwed you up."

"Please Jack," he begged, looking like a wounded puppy. "Help me. I've killed her. I've totally killed her."

Jack regarded him for a moment, wondering if he was just pretending to be like this for a joke. No. This was real. The Doctor was actually scared. Jack smoothed over the smirk threatening to break onto his face. "Right, first of all, did you have sex, or did you make love?"

The Doctor looked up, blinking slightly. "What's the difference?"

Jack took a breath, folding his arms. "Sex is meaningless, makin' love is emotional."

"Emotional," he answered straight.

"Then you're screwed. She's gonna think you've opened the relationship."

The Doctor sighed. He couldn't believe he was looking to Jack for lessons in having relationships; but as he reasoned, Jack was probably the one who knew the most about them.

"I don't want to open it. I want it firmly shut and barricaded. Infact, I want it firmly shut, barricaded, welded with a blowtorch around the edges, protected by one hundred deadlock seals and guarded by several thousand armed men."

"Well get a sex change then," Jack said unhelpfully. "Then she won't be wantin' a relationship with you."

The Doctor stared at him.

"Or you could have an affair with me," he carried on, "then she'll probably slap you and disappear into the night."

The Doctor pushed himself into his feet, head dropping to the floor.

"Thanks for the help, Jack," he said sarcastically, before shoving his hands into his pockets and walking away to disappear into the crowd of people, already bowing and curtseying before him.

* * *

Rose awoke to a cold, empty bed. 

She yawned slightly as she clutched at thin air, opening her eyes to hopefully see the Doctor. He was gone. So much for being a gentleman.

She lay there for a few moments, smiling as she recalled the previous night they'd had together. So, finally all the cards were laid out on the table – and she had a prial of threes. She vaguely wondered how the Doctor would react to this and she had a feeling he wouldn't be so keen on the idea.

Getting up she got dressed and headed out of her tent, almost walking straight into Jack coming the other way.

"Ah sorry Rosie. Was just huntin' for you. We're gettin' ready to go soon."

She nodded, a permanent smile on her face. He beamed back.

"You're happy this mornin'," he commented, already knowing why.

"I had sex with him last night!" Rose said quietly with a definite edge of joy to her voice. Jack rolled his eyes – here we go again.

"How was it?"

"Fantastic," she answered simply, "he loves me Jack, he actually loves me!"

"Don't get attached Rose," Jack warned lowly as they walked together across the encampment. "He still might die with no chance of regeneration, remember?"

This seemed to only make her happier. "Well he won't. We'll make sure of that, right?"

"Right," he muttered weakly, truly beginning to doubt such a perfect scenario now.

"Jack! Rose!" came a distant yell and the sound of hooves trotting on mud. They looked up to see the Doctor coming towards them mounted on a white horse, a bow and quiver of arrows on his back with a sword in a sheath on his left to complete. Not only that, he was wearing what looked like heavy black leather armour and a long, elegant, deep red cape.

He slid off of the horse and dropped to the ground, patting the steed affectionately.

"This is Arthur," he said with a grin, but Rose wasn't listening to him. She was staring at his clothing instead. Jack also seemed to pick up on this, giving the Doctor a wink.

"Lookin' sexy Doc," he complemented. The Doctor nodded back, for once not telling him to shut up. His mood seemed to have drastically improved from that morning.

"We need some protection, there's stuff for you and Rose too. We've only got Arthur here though, and some limited food rations," he gestured to the packs attached to Arthur, a bag either side just behind the saddle stuffed full of supplies.

"Guess this is really it then," Rose said with a contented sigh, happy to be on the move once again. "We're off, lookin' for the object we have no idea looks like in a place where we also don't know could be."

The Doctor grinned at her words. "Fun, though," he countered. "Besides, we're not completely clueless." He tapped his nose knowingly like a builder on the Screw Fix Catalogue advert. "Time Lord Spider Sense."

"You're forgettin' the lycra," Rose shot back with a sly grin, tongue between teeth.

He smiled slightly, but didn't openly laugh. He'd obviously reverted into 'it-never-happened' mode as he lifted a fingerless-glove hand and pointed to a nearby tent.

"Everything's in there. Get going then!"

* * *

Ten minutes later, they were all ready to leave. 

Rose was now looking very much like Xena in her tight fitting metal armour, wielding a sword in a sheath on her back. Jack also had been kitted out – a sword and shield aswell as heavy plate armour, grey in colour.

"We all look like somethin' from A Knight's Tale," Jack commented truthfully as the Doctor thanked the leader and joined them once more, taking hold of Arthur by his head reins to lead him.

"We've got to," he replied, trying to search out the direction of the antidote from his senses. "Else we're easy prey to anyone or anything around here."

They all waved goodbye as they departed from the small village into the forest unknown, their medieval type equipment out of place in their paradise surroundings.

"I would say…east," the Doctor gestured a vague direction to their left. "I'm getting some vibes from there."

"Ooo!" Jack exclaimed in delight, "disco vibes?"

The Doctor glanced at Rose, but Jack was already off on one.

"Harkness the Mighty! He's very tidy! Everyone admires him! He's so handsome it's a sin! When you're in jeopardy – don't call the cavalry! There's a better remedy! He's every man's trusty, he's every woman's fantasy, plus he's good company! He's Harkness…I'm Harkness the Mighty!"

"Shut up Jack," the Doctor and Rose chorused.

* * *

**A/N: **The song's from Xena: Warrior Princess. I _love _that show!

_Chapter 17 – Whose Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?_ (No pun intended. Well, maybe a little.)_  
_

_Could she be poisoned again? Panic erupted infront of her eyes as the mere thought of shortening the Doctor's life even further gripped her mind. No. She couldn't let him know. But how could she be poisoned again? Maybe the Doctor hadn't taken it all out of her…but the Doctor was thorough with those kinds of things, he wouldn't risking leaving anything in her. _

_Then she heard a twig snap. _

_She span around in alarm, thinking it was Jack or the Doctor coming to check on her – but oh, how she wished they did. Because in front of her right now, was a giant wolf. A giant, bloodthirsty wolf. A giant, bloodthirsty, __**hungry** wolf. _

_Oh dear. _


	18. Who’s Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?

**A/N: **I'm giving you this coz I'm busy with my GCSE coursework right now, and I'm slacking in recreational fic writing a bit. Humblest apologies.

You're right, **Twilight L. Xari**...wait. Are you? Whose...who's...just like whom and who, isn't it? I heard you say whose when put in a question but don't trust the back of cereal boxes. I was thinking along the lines of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" when I wrote it and I thought to myself, "hey, that _must _be right!" but tch. Ah! I just reread it, it says whose is the possessive version of "who's" so you ARE right. Damn you. Wow, learn something new every day:D ...God I hate the English Language. Let's all moved to a remote island in the middle of an ocean and speak "ug".

* * *

Chapter 17 – Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?

The Doctor felt they'd made good progress over the day. They'd definitely got closer to the location of the antidote, the hairs on the back of his neck could tell anyone that. By the time the sun was set they'd constructed a camp of sorts, the Doctor feeling mentally and physically drained from the daylong trek across the forest. He'd pushed himself to the limit just to keep walking, and now he was paying the price.

They ate and talked for a while – but the Doctor's head was easily the first to drop, when usually it was last, or infact, never actually dropped. Jack found three blankets and what could substitute as pillows whilst Rose made the Doctor comfortable, before slipping into her own made up bed. She said goodnight to Jack and waited for the signal he was asleep, before she turned back over and watched the Doctor sleeping in the half glow of the dying fire.

They were going to find that antidote – because she loved him, and she knew he loved her back. Nothing was going to stop them now.

"Night Doctor," she whispered, allowing her eyes to close.

They snapped open again in an instant.

Okay, this surely was not a good sign.

She grabbed her stomach and climbed hastily out from under the covers, almost running through the fire in her panic to reach the woods. She ducked behind a tree out of sight before she let it all out, the evening meal falling to the ground as she vomited profusely.

Could she be poisoned again? Panic erupted infront of her eyes as the mere thought of shortening the Doctor's life even further gripped her mind. No. She couldn't let him know. But how could she be poisoned again? Maybe the Doctor hadn't taken it all out of her…but the Doctor was thorough with those kinds of things, he wouldn't risking leaving anything in her.

Then she heard a twig snap.

She span around in alarm, thinking it was Jack or the Doctor coming to check on her – but oh, how she wished they did. Because in front of her right now, was a giant wolf. A giant, bloodthirsty wolf. A giant, bloodthirsty, _hungry _wolf.

Oh dear.

She backed away as the wolf began towards her, circling her, teasing her. She reached a hand over to her back and drew her sword out of its sheath – hoping to the God she didn't believe in that in a previous incarnation she had been a warrior princess who was very well versed in the art of sword fighting, which now at the clutch of a sword would suddenly all come flooding back and she could beat the wolf.

"Hey Wolfy!" yelled a sudden voice from her right, the voice of her saviour. She sighed in relief as the wolf turned to face this new enemy, seeing a man in black studded leather armour raising a bow and arrow towards it. "Move away!"

The wolf growled, in reply, snapping it's sharp teeth together edgily. Rose began to back away, raising her sword infront of her for protection as she backed straight into another presence. She opened her mouth to scream to the Doctor, but a hand instantly clamped over her mouth to silence her.

"Shush," Jack's voice calmed her, holding her carefully and they remained still, watching the Time Lord play Dr Dolittle with the wolf.

The wolf started to run towards him.

The Doctor let go of his bowstring, firing the arrow with perfect accuracy straight into the wolf's moving leg. It instantly whined and stumbled in its run, looking at the Doctor with hatred before it turned and limped into thick forest, the arrow still stuck fast into its leg.

Jack and Rose moved forward to the Doctor who had lowered his bow.

"How'd you know I was out here?" she asked the Doctor, who just shot a small grin back.

"My spider sense was tingling."

"Not this again…" Rose sighed, hand on forehead.

"I _am _serious y'know. Your distress cries come through on a specific wavelength. On the other hand, what were _you _doing wondering around in a deep dark forest in the middle of the night?"

"I um…" She quickly invented an excuse, "…needed the loo."

The Doctor frowned at this – obviously not at all buying it – but he carried on with it regardless. "Couldn't you find a loo a little closer to the camp?"

She decided to cut the conversation right there. "Sorry, Doctor," she said with a pout guaranteed to get her off the hook. He didn't say anything in reply, merely opened his arms and drew her into a hug of relief. Seconds later Jack had his arms around them aswell, grinning.

"Group hug!" he declared.

The Doctor was having some problems composing himself now, feeling his arms tighten around Rose although he was sure he hadn't moved at all. He was so tired…everything was so fuzzy and…had he eaten metallic paint for dinner? It was then he realised this was the aurora; he was going to have another fit.

He pulled away from Rose quickly, stumbling a little as he opened his mouth to warn his companions – but instead fell helplessly backwards onto the floor as he moaned softly.

There was no need to tell Jack what was about to happen. "Rose, he's gonna have another fit," Jack said quickly to the girl as she hesitantly backed away, fear plain in her eyes. "Go back to camp, we'll come back in a minute."

She had said herself that she couldn't possibly go through another one, and now Jack was trying to help her do exactly that by getting out of there…but she couldn't do that. She couldn't just be a coward and leave.

She shook her head.

"I'm stayin' to help him," she said in a determined voice, dropping to her knees next to him and helping him turn over onto his side as Jack quickly got rid of the bow and arrows he wielded. The Doctor was hugging himself again, rocking back and forth for a moment before he fell still.

"Are you sure 'bout this?" Jack asked seriously, staring into her eyes. She nodded.

"I love him. I'm not leavin' him."

He nodded back as the Doctor started to jerk, Rose merely biting her lip and fighting the temptation to cry at the sight of the Time Lord so weak and helpless. It was though there was something inside him fighting to get out, doing anything to worm itself up from inside his body and out his mouth.

She began to resent the poison even more.

Why couldn't it just leave him _be? _Why was getting this antidote so _difficult?_ Why did he have to suffer so badly just for wanting his freedom? Why didn't she see the warning before? _Why?!_

An eternity had passed before he'd finally stopped, and his eyes opened again. Jack slipped his arms underneath him and picked him up, watching him as the Doctor shot a smile of gratitude before he closed his eyes and slept once more.

"Rose," Jack started once he was sure the Doctor was deeply asleep, looking over to her as he stopped dead in his tracks. "What were you really doing out here?"

There was no point lying to Jack. "I was throwin' up."

His eyes shot open in panic. "Rose!" he just about hushed his voice down in time so as not to wake the Doctor. "If that's the poison, you _have _to tell him!"

To his complete surprise, she began to shake her head.

"I didn't know what it was before, but now I think I do."

"What?"

She stared at him with an immensely serious expression. "Jack…I think I'm pregnant."

* * *

**A/N: **Because I _can!_

Regreat to inform, you've caught up with me...so this extract will probably change, and it'll be a while coming unless I think of a damned plot for my short story!

_ Chapter 18 – Unnamed _

_ Whether it was her perception or bad judgement of distances Rose still felt as though they'd travelled a continent, but hadn't found the antidote. **Just a little further… **she kept telling herself. **A bit more…just a little bit more…**_

_ So now she and Jack sat together next to the crackling fire, silence reigning supreme over them both as time ticked slowly away. Rose was the first to break the silence, but not in a way they would've both wanted. _ _ "He's not gonna make it, is he?"_


	19. Living On A Prayer

**A/N: **I've been a rebel. In English I took my pen drive in coz my c/w is on there, and not only is that on there but all my current and most recent stories are too...so I multitasked a little. Got a page done of my c/w and two chapters of this, since I'm still in the midst of plot building of that one. Hit a big, mean, nasty wall with the Ramble though, _guuureat._

_**Living On A Prayer - Jon Bon Jovi**_

Really only one choice of chapter name...I have very literal titles :D

And I'm not obsessed with getting Rose pregnant! I deny that. Back about a year ago when I first started writing Doctor Who I liked the idea of TenRose on a flirting basis, nothing more. Then Ignoramus started on about how I should write a TenRose, so I wrote the first Ramble. Things went from there...

Anyway, it's a nice twist. C'mon, you weren't really expecting it at chapter 16, were you? Neither was I... if you were expecting it maybe _you _should be writing this!

I'll tell you the plot to my c/w next chaper. This A/N's _way _too long.

* * *

Chapter 18 – Living On A Prayer  


Rose was staring at the Doctor sleeping on his makeshift bed, hair dampened by perspiration as his body tried in vain to get out the chemical rendering its immune system useless. He had around two days left to live and was getting weaker and weaker by the second yet there was nothing she or Jack could do.

Over the past three or so days the Doctor had walked for a while, and then had to rest. He walked a little more; had to rest. He pushed himself to the limit and kept going until sundown – only to collapse into bed that night straight after dinner, exhausted. He had been trembling for no apparent reason, every step he took he was moving lead weight, a dull pain starting up in his chest around about where his hearts were. But he had fought on, and it was doing no good for his health.

Whether it was her perception or bad judgement of distances Rose still felt as though they'd travelled a continent, but hadn't found the antidote. _Just a little further… _she kept telling herself. _A bit more…just a little bit more…_

So now she and Jack sat together next to the crackling fire, silence reigning supreme over them both as time ticked slowly away. Rose was the first to break the silence, but not in a way they would've both wanted.

"He's not gonna make it, is he?"

Jack stopped sharpening his sword, instead looking straight at the young girl for a moment. He then looked away, not even bothering to answer as his attention went back to his sword.

She got down onto her knees beside his head, brushing his cold cheek with the back of her fingers. How could someone be so cold yet still sweat profusely and moan about the sweltering heat?

She let go a sob.

Hearing Jack's sword drop as strong, supportive arms held her from behind; she turned and rested her head on his chest, trying to stop herself from crying.

"You will stay for a bit, won't you?" Rose asked Jack quietly, and he nodded.

"For as long as you and the baby need me Rose, you know that."

"Thanks, Jack."

* * *

The next morning the Doctor took a moment to wake up. 

He was too weak to _stand,_ let alone walk, so Jack lifted him onto Arthur, letting the horse take him onwards. Rose noted that he could barely even sit up on the horse, his muscles slowly starting to lose energy as less and less oxygen was being transported around him body. He was suffocating inside. How long could his respiratory bypass stay on for?

Jack kept side glancing at Rose, trying to look as though he was just being friendly but really actually accessing her for how she was holding out. Exercise was good for pregnancy he had heard but she wasn't supposed to be overexerting herself.

How far along was she? How could she have been fertilised the night before she showed the first symptoms of pregnancy? He plagued the dilemma over for a moment. Human pregnancy was nine months – didn't mean to say alien pregnancy was nine months too. Maybe he could subtly ask the Doctor somehow…

The sun was already setting before they finally resigned to camp for the final time. The Doctor was hardly conscious now, vaguely grunting as Jack him off the horse and settled him on a bed. He slept instantly.

Rose didn't.

She kept feeling her belly as if willing the baby she knew was in there to give her a signal that it was alive, and its father was not going to die in a dumb game. She would get the antidote and save him, wake up out of the game and they'd carry on as if nothing had ever happened.

But the baby didn't react no matter how hard she willed it.

The fire was dying out now, but she could see both Jack and the Doctor asleep in their respective beds – the Doctor shaking and gasping air at precise intervals whilst Jack snored ever so slightly. Silently, she looked up to the computer-generated stars above and knew what had to be done.

Pray.

"Hi God," she whispered quietly, "it's me, Rose Tyler. I know it's been a while since we talked, but I could really use some help right now. He's only got a day left and we have no idea where we are or where we're headed. He's just layin' there dyin' and I don't know what to do. Please, we just need a little more time. I'll do anythin'. I'll pray every night; I'll convert to a full time Christian; I'll never have sex out of wedlock again…" she bit her lip at this last one, crossing her fingers subtly behind her back. "…Just, please. I love him. I really, _really _love him and if you want any proof, just look in my womb…" A tear slid down her cheek. "Give us another chance?"

She paused for a moment, hastily wiping away the wet trail on her face before turning onto her side and falling into an uneasy sleep.

The Doctor opened his eyes, and looked over at the sleeping girl with a sad smile on his face.

"Amen," he completed.

* * *

"They're in the game father," Amrok informed Жemnas over the intercom from Jhutsu's office, able to see his father's face as the corner of his mouth twisted up into a sneer of vague amusement on one of the security monitors. 

"_How far are they from completion?"_

Amrok looked over to the monitor display _The Island. _"They'll be at the portal tomorrow."

"_And what of the Doctor?"_

"He's entered the seventh stage."

The smile broadened. _"Excellent. Two more and he'll be gone for good."_

"What should I do?"

Жemnas paused to consider this for a moment. _"Let's make things interesting. Kill the girl."_

Amrok seemed to pale slightly at his proposition. "I can't, father. She's with child."

"_So?! It's just more of their Time Lord offspring scum across the Universe. Do us all a favour and kill it now."_

"I'm not killing an infant, father!"

"_Are you or are you not my son?!" _Жemnas demanded, his face thunderous. _"Kill it!"_

"Please father…" Amrok begged, "I can't kill a baby…"

"_Then you will no longer be my son. My son is not afraid of anything."_

Amrok's eyes began to water slightly. All he ever wanted was his father's pride, and unless he killed this girl and the Doctor's child then he was never going to get it.

Reluctantly, he began to nod.

"Yes, father."

"_Good boy," _he said, and the intercom terminated.

Amrok slowly turned, and began to walk to _The Island_'s central mainframe.

* * *

**A/N: **

_ Chapter 19 – Can't You See?_

_..."I'll only hold you back. You need to find that antidote and save Zodonia and the Universe before it's too late." _

_ "That's bullshit," Jack replied, his expression one of disbelief as he scolded the Doctor for his words. He grabbed the Time Lord's arm and pulled him across the woodland, forcing him with them. _

_ "No, Jack…" _

_ "Shut up, just shut up!" he almost screamed out of grief and anger. "You don't know what you're talkin' 'bout! You're delirious!"_


	20. Can't You See?

**A/N: **Okay, here's the deal. Today is my BiRtHdAy and I'm fifteen years old! I got a whole load done for you all to lavish in. Woo!

_**Marshall Tucker Band - Can't You See? **_...Rather appropiate, methinks.

* * *

Chapter 19 – Can't You See?

Jhutsu crippled as Amrok brought the metal pole down on his head from behind.

Like a robot he threw Jhutsu's body automatically to the side and sat down at the terminal, watching _The Island's _observation monitor as the group onscreen settled down for the night. He sat and viewed who he knew to be Rose Tyler praying to the stars for the Doctor, and instantly his heart smashed into a thousand pieces. He couldn't do this. He didn't want to do this. He saw the Doctor was awake as Rose slipped back asleep, the Doctor lowering his head onto the pillow and joining her once more.

Slowly he leant forward, and began to tap at the controls.

* * *

_Doctor._

The Doctor blinked slightly, somehow surprised at the voice in his head as he pushed through the murkiness and forced himself to sit up.

_Don't be alarmed. _

'Don't worry – I'm not. A strange voice is calling me inside my head. Nothing to be alarmed about at all,' he thought back with a happy smile.

_I'm sorry. This was the only way I could communicate with you safely. Listen to me, there isn't much time. I am Amrok, and my father has ordered me to kill Rose._

The Doctor knew he was talking about Жemnas from the discussion in the mental hospital with the man himself.

'Well seeing as you're telling me all this, you've decided to ignore him?'

_Yes. But if he finds out he won't have any mercy, for you or for me._

'Won't breathe a word.'

_I have to go now._

'Okay. Good luck.'

_You too._

* * *

"I want to walk."

Jack was staring at the Doctor as though he'd just grown another head, sitting on Arthur and clutching onto his mane as if reassuring himself the animal was still actually underneath him.

"You are kidding me, aren't you?" he asked, gripping Arthur's rein to stop him walking. "You can't stand up."

"I'm not the one that needs to take it easy Jack. I'll manage."

"She's okay, exercise is good for pregnancy," he blurted out without even thinking – making Rose, who was a few steps ahead of them stop dead in her tracks. He blinked. "Err, what I mean is…that was just a generalisation. It's like people think women can't take it but when it's _pregnant _women people think they need less exercise but it's more like-"

"It's okay, I know," the Doctor cut over him before he made even more of an idiot out of himself. "She's pregnant with my child."

There was a momentary pause as Jack and Rose took this in.

"…How long have you known?" Jack asked, and the Doctor gave a pained shrug.

"Since we found her in the forest."

Jack shook his head in bemusement. "Nothin' gets past you, does it?"

"Nope," he replied, popping the 'p'. "But I need to walk…my legs are going numb. Rose needs a break from walking too," he reasoned with the ex-Time Agent, who – after a brief moment of thought – finally nodded.

"We'd better hurry up," Jack said quickly, helping the Time Lord off of the horse and holding him steady as Rose got on. "We don't have much time."

"We don't have _enough _time…" the Doctor silently corrected under his breath, making sure Jack and Rose didn't hear him.

* * *

The Doctor stumbled for the fifth time that minute, hands flying out to grab Jack's arm desperately to stay standing. Rose cried out surprise as Jack tried to hold him as steady as possible.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked as he straightened, hand covering his burning eyes. Jack reached up as he heard Rose get hurriedly off of Arthur and jog towards them both, helping to steady the Doctor.

"Rose," the Doctor muttered, pained, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Sorry for what? Doctor, lemme see what's wrong…" She reached up to his hand and pulled it away from his eyes before he could stop her.

Her eyes widened as she clamped her hand over her mouth, now dropped into a silent scream.

"Your eyes…" she whispered, "…they're…they're _red…"_

He blinked slightly, gazing straight through her. His right hand lifted to her cheek and caressed it gently.

"I can't see anything," he said quietly.

"We have to get goin'," Jack's voice suddenly interrupted from behind them, and he was right. "We're runnin' outta time."

"Leave me Jack," the Doctor said instantly, his once brown eyes now awash with swirls of red looking blindly around to where he could feel Jack's presence. "I'll only hold you back. You need to find that antidote and save Zodonia and the Universe before it's too late."

"That's bullshit," Jack replied, his expression one of disbelief as he scolded the Doctor for his words. He grabbed the Time Lord's arm and pulled him across the woodland, forcing him with them.

"No, Jack…"

"Shut up, just shut up!" he almost screamed out of grief and anger. "You don't know what you're talkin' 'bout! You're delirious!"

The Doctor knew Jack was furious, but mainly at himself. Denial. He was in denial.

"I'll be dead in twenty minutes…"

"Well then we'd better hurry up, hadn't we?!" he yelled back, Rose in hot pursuit.

Then Jack stopped dead.

"Ahoy there me buckos!" the Captain Pirate said, grinning toothily at the group with musket balanced on shoulder, accompanied by a crowd of minions.

The three swallowed.

* * *

_Chapter 20 – Don't Stop Me Now_

_The Captain moved on finally to Rose, cupping her chin roughly as he looked his prize up and down. Jack was partially glad the Doctor couldn't see what was going on because of it, but Rose's cry alerted the Time Lord to the girl's need, and he tried to push himself up and run forward to save her. He didn't even take one step before his foot caught on a stray branch, sending him tumbling back down to the ground with a thud another cry of pain._

_Everyone laughed at him, the Captain included as he shoved his tongue down her throat and tried to rip it right out. Her screams became more and more desperate in the Doctor's ears, and all he could do was stare at a blur._


	21. Don't Stop Me Now

**A/N:** Next two chapters are the RAWR CHEEEEEHAAAAAARRRRRRRYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! In English, that means there some video game style fighting and etc. Yes. I watch way too much Xena. I'm getting up at 8:00am tomorrow on a SATURDAY just so I don't miss an ep. It's feeding my addiction monster before Christmas. Between Christmas and series four you're kinda safe coz of Torchwood, but between now and Christmas it's hell. Ooo, ton of DVDs and etc come out November! Can't wait to see extras on the series three DVD :D

**_Queen - Don't Stop Me Now _**For two reasons...one, the Shaun Of The Dead references at the fight and also coz I love that song:D

* * *

Chapter 20 – Don't Stop Me Now

The minions swarmed. Jack tried to draw his sword but before he could act, he, Rose and the Doctor were ripped roughly apart and dragged into separate directions. Jack tried desperately to fight them off as Rose cried out for her boys, the Doctor grunting in pain as his arm wound was disturbed from the rough grip of the seemingly newly found crew of pirates.

The Captain strutted over to Jack, the hole in his head that should have been there now completely gone. He raised his hand and drew Jack's sword out from its sheath, tossing it across the woodland.

"I knew I would come 'crrross ye," he said with that awful toothy smile, "I don't apprrreciate scallywags killin' me crrrew and leavin' me ferrr dead, ye know."

"Well I'm sorry about that," Jack spat back, still angry from his scene with the Doctor. "We'll make sure to kill you aswell next time!"

The Captain seemed to find this funny, but didn't stop to explain as he turned to the Doctor, whose red-clouded eyes were flickering crazily around for any hint to what was going on.

"Let the lad go, buckos – he's blind, he's arrrgh use t' anyone now."

The holders threw the Doctor roughly onto the ground who cried surprise with the impact, head snapping up but still unable to see anything.

The Captain moved on finally to Rose, cupping her chin roughly as he looked his prize up and down. Jack was partially glad the Doctor couldn't see what was going on because of it, but Rose's cry alerted the Time Lord to the girl's need, and he tried to push himself up and run forward to save her. He didn't even take one step before his foot caught on a stray branch, sending him tumbling back down to the ground with a thud another cry of pain.

Everyone laughed at him, the Captain included as he shoved his tongue down her throat and tried to rip it right out. Her screams became more and more desperate in the Doctor's ears, and all he could do was stare at a blur.

"Get_off _of her!" he yelled angrily, getting onto his feet once more and taking off his bow, drawing out an arrow from the cluster on his back and after some fumbling, managed to hold it against the string.

The Captain's minions made to move forward but the Captain drew back from Rose, laughing as he gestured them away.

"What does blind lad herrre think he's charrrtin' a courrrse t' do?"

"This," the Doctor said, drawing back the bowstring and releasing it in one swift movement, too quick for the Captain to react to as the arrow flew across the wood, implanting itself straight in his left eye.

"Good shot!" Jack exclaimed in delight as the Captain let go of Rose instantly, howling in agony as he grabbed at the arrow embedded into his eye, staggering away from the girl.

"Doctor, watch out!" Rose shouted as suddenly the Doctor felt a presence behind him on his right. Instantly he gripped the stick of the bow, spinning around and smacking the assailant over the head. They crippled.

"Three o'clock!" Jack warned, and he swung out a quick roundhouse kick to the presence, feeling his foot contact with a body.

"Six o'clock!" Rose yelled and the Doctor threw his elbow back to connect with a chest. He swung his fist up and caught the attacker right in the face, sending him staggering backwards. He raised his bow and smacked it across the stunned attacker's head again, feeling their energy get sapped.

"Far nine o'clock!" came Jack's voice next, and the Doctor raised his bow once more, drawing out another arrow and had already aimed and fired it into the leg before the enemy took another step.

"Five o'clock!" He swung his bow over his shoulders to turn around and grab it once more with his left hand, smacking it in their face.

"Doctor, catch!" Jack yelled and elbowed his holder in the stomach, swiftly disarming them and throwing it over to the Doctor who caught in perfectly. He swung it around to find a comfortable position, before he was once again following his companions' calls.

"Two o'clock!" He threw out the sword and stabbed straight into the shoulder flesh, pulling it back out with a spit of blood. Jack watched as two new attackers approached him, one from behind, the other from his left.

"Half past nine!" The Doctor raised his a sword in the defensive stance to the left, just in time to catch the falling sword of the assailant. He pushed it away and slashed once more, catching them right across the chest.

As they tried to regain their composure he swung around and caught the other sword in mid swing towards his head. He disconnected and whirled around to his left, doing a full 360º turn and catching their falling sword once again. He raised his free fist and launched it straight into their face, before grasping the sword in both hands and thrusting it forward, right through the upper leg and out the other side. He withdrew and launched out another kick to the one still staggering about clutching at their bleeding wound, and they fell.

Jack was just admiring this before his eyes widened in absolute shock – the Doctor was being surrounded. As the Doctor stood breathing heavily in the centre of their circle Jack opened his mouth to warn him, but Rose had got there first.

"Twenty-four hour clock!" she yelled, and the Doctor nodded, stabbing his sword in the dirt and standing still for a moment, fists clenched. He felt them getting closer, closer, closer, closer, closer…

He gripped the top of the sword and used it as a centre pole as he jumped up and walked around the outside of the circle. He got faster and faster as they closed in more and more, until eventually he was just defying gravity and swinging around and around knocking people out.

Rose watched in amazement as her captors let go of her and tore across to give the swinging man a try, only to get defeated within a second. This was incredible!

"Go Doctor!" she yelled, waving her arms about in the air in a cheerleader-ish way. "T-H-E-space-D-O-C, T-O-R! The, Doc, tor, allons-y!"

Jack was also grinning in delight as his captors let go of him, running to confront the Time Lord. Soon all of them were knocked out on the floor and the Doctor was standing in the centre of his whirlwind of combat, piles of bodies all around him either groaning in a fair amount of pain or unconscious.

"Zero dead!" the Doctor declared with a grin, throwing his sword up in the air where it did a few flips before he caught it again, cutting the air. Rose ran forward and jumped onto him in a tight hug, almost making him fall over in surprise of the impact.

"One dead," said a sudden voice from afar and Rose quickly let go of the Doctor, jumping behind him to seek protection. Jack watched as the Captain, still with the arrow in his eye raised his sword in one hand, pointing the tip straight at the Doctor. "Ye."

He reached up his free hand and grasped the arrow, giving a hard pull on it. It came out of the socket with a squelch, bringing with it the eyeball attached to the end. They all watched, horrified as he threw the arrow away, a new eye instantly growing in its place.

This was the Doctor's mind, so it only stood to reason that the Captain was now granted the anomaly Jack had as part of the Time Lord's memories.

A foe that couldn't be killed.

This was going to make things difficult.

* * *

**A/N: **_Chapter 21 – Love Shine A Light_

_ "Then so be 't," he grunted, and threw out his clenched right fist straight to her head. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the pain of the impact that was guaranteed to come, but to her complete and utter surprise, nothing came. Unsure, she opened her eyes and saw an amazing sight. The Doctor had stopped his punch merely centimetres from her face, hand firmly tightened around the attacker's wrist._

_ "Punching defenceless woman really gets my hackles up," the Doctor said, his blood red eyes fixed firmly on the Captain's face although his vision was still non-existent. "And trust me – you won't like me when I'm mad."_

And BTW I'd like to add...why is everyone getting worked up on the**announcement of series five in 2010?** Me? I'm _relieved_ they've decided to take a break! As I see it, nine months continuous filming a year can be not only tiresome but RTD might also begin to become a little drained on the writer's PoV - we need breaks too, don't we? If they continuously film every year again and again and again everyone going to see it as a day job after a while, even David if you give a long enough time over it. This little break means a moment to catch their breath before plunging into a new series.

Doing Shakespeare also means David's possible typecasting problem as the Doctor will drop dramatically and he has more freedom to continue playing him. Since David has been confirmed to appear in the specials in 2009, that means he won't die series four - and it's bad writing and producing to kill the main character in a special. You just don't do that. So I have the confidence to know that he's in series five, and if he and RTD agreed to take a year out for a mid-term break that means he's not planning to leave for a bit, else he would've done the series next year to get it over with.

Besides...with the amount of bodies the Doctor has left they'd want to maintain the actors playing the role else Doctor Who would be cut short at his final death. Not unless Rose really WAS pregnant, and we'll then have to follow the tales of the Doctor's son :P

Interesting...but probably not in the "Classic Who" fan rulebook.


	22. Love Shine A Light

**A/N: **Love, shine a light! In every corner of my dreams! Let the love...LIGHT CARRY!!!! Let the love...LIGHT CARRY!!!! AND WE'VE ALLLLLLLLLLLLL GOTTA SHINE A LIGHT TOGEEEETHEEEER!!!! Errm...yeah. _**Katrina And The Wave - Love Shine A Light.**_

* * *

Chapter 21 – Love Shine A Light

The Doctor was beginning to feel a little off. The poison was spreading through his body, duplicating at a staggering rate as he slowly began to lose all of his senses. He couldn't smell anything now, although he could still hear the Captain's words loud in his ears.

"But that's not fair!" Rose shouted, watching the Doctor as he looked blindly around to try and locate where the Captain was standing. "He can't fight you like this!"

"From what i jus' spied he be not helpless," the Captain countered, striding forward towards her and the Doctor, raising his sword point to hover dangerously near his chin. The Doctor didn't move, so Rose pulled him back and threw herself around his front to protect him.

"Please, we just wanna get an antidote and leave…" she begged, "we don't have much time."

"Move wee girl, this man wishes ye t' be in eternal despair," he said, already pushing her to the side as his sword point finally rested just below the Time Lord's chin. "Sea dogs an' land lubbers he loves dies, didn't ye know?"

"Get away from him!" Rose yelled back angrily, hitting the sword out of his grip and onto the floor as mounting anger cascaded through her. "I won't let you hurt him!"

"You're beginnin' t' get annoyin'," the Captain said airily, clenching his right fist ever so subtly. "Get ou' o' me way."

"No."

"Then so be 't," he grunted, and threw out his clenched right fist straight to her head. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the pain of the impact that was guaranteed to come, but to her complete and utter surprise, nothing came. Unsure, she opened her eyes and saw an amazing sight. The Doctor had stopped his punch merely centimetres from her face, hand firmly tightened around the attacker's wrist.

"Punching defenceless woman really gets my hackles up," the Doctor said, his blood red eyes fixed firmly on the Captain's face although his vision was still non-existent. "And trust me – you won't like me when I'm mad."

He gave the arm a sharp tug, using all his might to heave the Captain over his shoulder and smack him hard to the floor. He was alert in a second, hooking his leg around the Doctor's and jerking it roughly forwards. He fell to the floor with a yell of surprise, almost hitting his head on a stray fallen branch but catching himself just in time. He span back around and felt something collide harshly with his face, a sharp pain ringing out through his skull and he reeled with the strike.

Another one came, but this time he was ready. He grabbed the fist and twisted it around to immobilise it as his free hand came flying upwards and contacted with the flesh of a jaw. He heard a cry and the rigidness of the Captain above him slackened, which he took advantage of and launched onto two feet.

"Leave!" the Doctor demanded, but the Captain wasn't about to give up. He threw out a kick and caught the Doctor full in the stomach. He doubled over, wondering if his spleen had just ruptured before he felt another punch hit the bottom of his chin and he staggered backwards a few paces in surprise and pain. Something hit his chest, then his leg, then his shoulder. He tried to defend himself but his eyes were taking stinging to the maximum, and by the time it had stopped he was on his knees, a lamb to the slaughter.

It struck him hard across the head and he fell to the floor, barely conscious.

The Captain smiled triumphantly, retrieving the sword from the ground and raising it high in the air above the defenceless body…

"No!" Rose yelled suddenly throwing herself over the Doctor to protect him, and the Captain hesitated. "Don't kill him! Please don't kill him!"

"Why not?"

"Because I…because I love him and he's not supposed to _die _this way!" she choked, "we're supposed to be together forever…I'm gonna lose him…and our child will grow up without a father…"

The Captain seemed to go rigid. "Child?"

"My baby, in here." She was gesturing at her womb as the Captain seemed unable to comprehend. For moment there was silence as his eyes flickered between her face, her womb, and the Doctor lying beneath Rose with her body shielding his from any strikes.

"Error," he suddenly said in an automated voice, sword disappearing from his clutch in mid-air as his image began to swerve and become unfocused. "Error. Malfunction. Malfunction. Error, error, error, malfunction…" His words were getting more high pitched and faster at every word. "Error, error-malfunction-error-malfunction-malfunction-error-malfunction…"

Then he disappeared in a blip of light.

A few moments of silence passed and Jack breathed a heavy sigh, moving quickly to Rose and the Doctor.

"Come on Doc, we gotta move," Jack said as Rose gently turned over his now shaking body to face upwards.

They stared.

Everywhere the Doctor was bleeding – out of every orifice his body had. Blood gushed out his nose and mouth, dripping from his ears and even slipping down his cheeks from his red-stained tears. Everything just bled…

Jack quickly gathered him up in both arms, holding onto him tightly like the Doctor was his only possession in the world. He helped him to stand up as well as he could, but the Doctor was shaking so badly it was hard to maintain a firm grip.

"I can't…" he gasped, agonised as he reached up a blood-coated hand from his red fingernails to grasp onto Jack. He moaned softly through the torture, letting his head drop limply onto the other man's shoulder as his eyes fluttered closed.

"No!" Jack yelled simply, trying desperately to keep the Doctor somewhat vertical as Rose gave out a cry. "Rose, get Arthur!"

She almost tripped over the branches in her haste as she made it to the horse, who seemed to have detected the panic and slowly made his way towards them. She led him quickly back to Jack who al-but threw the Doctor onto the saddle, helping Rose up behind him before patting the horse quickly and pointing ahead.

"Go Arthur! Get to the antidote!"

He neighed in approval, bolting off at the speed of light with a terrified Rose Tyler sitting on his back, holding distraughtly onto the Doctor.

She didn't know how long they were riding for, but it felt like an age. All she could think about was the Doctor's last few precious seconds ticking away so easily into the dust and her heart was tearing in two. They had to get there. They just _had _to.

They seemed to descend into a tomb like cave, through ruined corridors and rotted chambers until they reached the heart of the tomb. Rose almost fell off as Arthur screeched to a halt beside a mini waterfall gushing down into a lake concealed in the chamber. She got off of the horse and dragged the Doctor down with her, hauling him desperately with tears rushing down her cheeks into the shallow pool of what she already knew was the antidote.

She drowned the Doctor in it, forcing it through his mouth. It didn't seem to be working. Why wasn't it working?!

Then she came up with an idea.

She instantly began to strip him of his shirt, trying to get to his arm wound and bathe it in the antidote. She ripped through the leather and tore up the bandages until the now bleeding wound was exposed, and she plunged it into the antidote.

"C'mon!!!" she yelled impatiently, wrapping her arms around him and pressing him hard against her chest as her eyes clenched shut. "WORK YOU DUMB THING!!!"

Then something jerked.

Her eyes flew open and she let go of him slightly, frowning and looking down at him.

He coughed.

"YES!" she screamed in utter delight, resisting the insurmountable temptation to jump up and start dancing. "In your FACE Жemnas! In your FACE, and THEN some!"

"Rose?!" called a voice from afar.

"Jack! We did it! We did it!!!"

Jack bounded up behind her and did a cannonball into the lake, sending the antidote all over Rose and the floor.

"Woo! Hell yeah!" he yelled and punched the air in triumph. "Game _complete!"_

Then as if on cue, bright white light flooded the chamber and everything faded out of existence…but Rose wasn't scared – she was going back to reality.

Finally.

* * *

**A/N: **It would be cool to say that's it but c'mon, nothing's been sorted! Жemnas is still running around, everyone's still poisoned, the Doctor's gonna be on a little downtime and the antidote only exists inside a game.

_Chapter 22 – It's Not Over Yet_

_ "It's the poison reacting to the antidote in his system," Amrok said out loud as Jack pushed his way through the officials to where he knew the TARDIS resided outside. "It's congealing with it inside his lungs and growing and spreading. At the stage of the poison it'll block his lungs and spread up through his windpipe. His only chance is…"_

_ "…Toilet Duck," Rose supplied automatically._


	23. It's Not Over Yet

**A/N: _It's Not Over Yet - The Klaxons._** Well, it isn't, is it?

* * *

Chapter 22 – It's Not Over Yet

"Rose wake up!"

She always hated coming back to reality. After spending days in a video game it actually felt as though reality was just a dream – also that and the stonker of a headache you also received.

She reached up to pull of her game helmet, opening her eyes and patiently waiting for the person infront of her to stop looking like a crowd of binary.

"Jack?" she asked, and the blurry man nodded.

"C'mon Rose, we gotta move."

"Mmm…" She began to take off her equipment with Jack's assistance, her headache seriously not helping. Her hand momentarily brushed over her womb and she paused, eyes widening at the realisation.

Jack noticed this. "Is it there?"

"It's gone Jack," she croaked, almost struggling not to cry. "There's nothin' there."

Jack couldn't say he was surprised. He kind of suspected this would happen, but it was nice for Rose to dream awhile at least.

"C'mon Rosie, let's go get the Doc," he simply said, helping Rose out of the room and into the corridor, towards the central mainframe. When they got there however, a heart-stopping sight greeted them.

"Jack, Rose," Amrok Жemnas nodded in turn to each of them, standing next to two gurneys with Jhutsu on one and the Doctor on the other, both unconscious. "I was getting worried."

Rose flipped faster than a burger on a barbecue, staring at the Doctor and Jhutsu with horrified eyes as she fitted the last piece of the jigsaw infront of her.

"What have you done?!" she almost shrieked.

"It's okay, I'm on your side," he claimed quickly, but Rose was unconvinced as she ran over to the Doctor's side, pushing medical officials out the way with ease and staring down at his impassive facial features. She reached up to his neck and checked for a pulse – barely alive.

"He got the antidote! He's supposed to be gettin' better!" she said angrily, shooting Amrok a withering glare.

"You completed the game thirty minutes ago but you didn't come out, he's going into total respiratory failure – I had to do something."

"We're taking him back to the TARDIS, Jhutsu too," Jack said as he moved to the Doctor and positioned his arms to lift him up. "Medical facilities here are limited, we got real care in the TARDIS."

"I'm coming with you," Amrok said quickly, moving to take Jhutsu as Jack raised the Doctor's limp body. "I can help."

"After what you've done?!" Rose stayed next to the Doctor, trying to towel dry him with her own jacket but having very little effect.

"Please, if the Doctor was awake he'd tell you. I'm a force for good, I swear I am. Let me help you."

Jack was unsure, and Rose wasn't having any of it.

"Let's just get them both back to the TARDIS first, then we'll start pointin' fingers," he said simply, the Doctor's drenched form helpless in his arms showing no signs of life. "I don't like the looks of his breathin'."

"It's the poison reacting to the antidote in his system," Amrok said out loud as Jack pushed his way through the officials to where he knew the TARDIS resided outside. "It's congealing with it inside his lungs and growing and spreading. At the stage of the poison it'll block his lungs and spread up through his windpipe. His only chance is…"

"…Toilet Duck," Rose supplied automatically.

"What?" Amrok ask, confused.

"Cleaner," Jack answered, "that washes out the pipes. Mr. Muscle. Gets out the gunk."

"Sort of, yeah," he answered loosely, obviously caught off guard. "Else he'll asphyxiate long before the antidote has a chance to act."

"And what happened to Jhutsu?" Jack finally asked the question Amrok had been hoping to avoid, so he lied in return.

"Must've fell and hit his head. The central mainframe wasn't stable, anything could have fallen onto him."

Jack nodded as Rose opened the TARDIS door for the others, stepping inside the thriving machine once more.

"Hey I missed you!" Rose said out loud, and it took Amrok a moment to realise she was actually talking to the machine. In a reply it give a high-pitched squeaking sound, and then Amrok realised he had no idea what on Zodonia he was getting himself into.

The machine seemed to make some more sounds, heaving and groaning as the situation seemed to dawn on her. The TARDIS was very in tune to all their feelings but no more so than the Doctor, and he currently wasn't fairing too well.

The corridors were shifted politely to allow them through, and Jack led them straight to the Infirmary. He settled the Doctor down onto a bed, feeling no pangs of joy at the prospect of getting him out of wet clothes for once as he gestured Amrok away and slipped the Doctor's water-laden coat off of his shoulders. Rose helped him strip him out of the wet clothes, obediently looking away at the obvious bit.

When he was finally fully clean and clothed in pyjamas, Rose made him comfortable in the bed as Jack dealt with Jhutsu. She gave the Doctor an oxygen mask to help with the breathing and the TARDIS supplied some medicines, which Jack carefully administered in his arm. Once satisfied, Rose felt a sense of relief.

"Okay?" she asked Jack, and he nodded with smile.

"Better than okay," he confirmed, and slipped past her out of the door to the Console Room where Amrok dwelled.

Upon their entry he was sat on the Captain chair staring at the Console, eyes flickering across the buttons on the panel. He instantly jerked up to attention at the sound of their footsteps, and anxiously looked at them.

"Are they going to be okay?"

"Fine," Jack answered shortly, moving over to him. "But that's not priority right now. Millions of lifeforms out there are dyin' from this poison and we have to find a way to get it to everyone before it's too late."

"I have the antidote right here," Amrok said, producing a slip of paper from inside his pocket and handing it to Jack. Jack look down at the piece of paper in confusement – a string of numbers and elements unknown to the human race making up a long compound molecule.

"Soliciumfrankolithicmixyalebidiumrixydixydoxydexydroxide," Amrok uttered, and Rose's jaw dropped.

"Blimey, and I thought Raxacorico…fall…a…patorious was bad."

"Well whatever it is, how do we make it?"

Amrok shook his head negatively. "With difficulty. Only a genius can mix a solution like this to perfection."

"The only genius we've got is currently comatose," Jack informed him sadly, "we got an alternative?"

"Nothing," Amrok replied dully. "We need the Doctor."

"_You called?"_

They instantly whirled around only to come face to face with the dreaded hologram Doctor, arms folded, smiling at them casually.

"_This is emergency programme 5647463858…I think. Don't you just love 'em?"_

* * *

**A/N: **My god, when _did _this get so TenRose? I'll tell you when, when someone _mentioned_ the relationship to me. Of course, it may all seem hunky-dory now butyou know me - sudden plot twist yanks the entire relationship in another direction. Not that I'm saying anything's gonna happen to either one of them. (Looks around shiftily) 

_Chapter 23 – Unnamed_

"_I'm not just gonna sit here and accept your death, no way. You can't do that to me, not after everythin' we've done. Just…stay here. We'll take care of everythin' else. Y'know, if you were awake you'd probably be laughin' at me now." She gave him a weak smile. "…I wish you would. I miss you." Slowly she leant forward, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek before drawing away and looking back down to his impassive facial features. "…I love you."_


	24. Simple And Clean

**A/N:** Bit of Japanese game soundtrack for a chapter title. I suppose, unusually, it's more about the lyrics of the song then the title :P **_Simple And Clean (KH2 Soundtrack) - Utada Hikaru_**...beautiful song :D

We're soooo near the end I can taste it! Just a few affairs to clear up. And you're right, Жemnas has not been given the antidote at any time. But what happened to him, eh? ...I'm sure I'll think of something :D

* * *

Chapter 23 – Simple And Clean  


"_I am an automated robot programmed to answer any questions you might have about your current situation," _the hologrammatic Doctor was saying, _"I was created by the Doctor. Sensors detect the Doctor is undergoing major anatomical changes and has fallen into a healing coma; he must not be awoken."_

"So we can ask you anythin'," Jack confirmed and the hologram nodded.

"_I can respond to simple questions but they mustn't be directly relative to your situation." _

Jack nodded. "How'd we get the antidote to the infected planets?"

The hologrammatic Doctor shook his head. _"Your question is too relative. You must ask the right questions."_

"How do we convert the name of the antidote into somethin' that's useful?" Rose gave it a try.

"_The antidote does not have to be in a bottle," _the hologram answered simply.

"The antidote's still an antidote on paper or in liquid," Rose pointed out. "Just in a different form, I suppose."

"You can't administer letters," Amrok pointed out validly.

"No, we've got to think about this. What's the greatest resource this planet has?" he asked the other two occupants, before realising his mistake and turned. "Doctor?"

"_Zodonia is the electronically dominant centre of the Universe."_

"Good," Jack carried on, "we can try and manipulate the antidote to…I dunno…electromagnetic waves? That way everyone will get it and it'll get the knock on effect, spreading out across the stars and healing the Universe."

"But we can't do that…" Rose began, frowning before she realised she could find the answer to that right now. "Doctor, how do we convert the name of a substance into electromagnetic waves?"

"_It needs to first become a liquid mix before it is converted to waves. The method is complex, but possible. I can instruct you but I cannot do it for you."_

"Fantastic." Jack grinned, before heading over to a linking door on the side. "Lab this way, is it?"

* * *

Whilst Jack worked at making up the solution Rose slipped quietly out of the door, heading back to the Infirmary. She was missing him. She entered the Infirmary to be greeted by the sight of Jhutsu now wide-awake, sitting next to the Doctor's bed. He looked up on her entry, nodding acknowledgement before looking back at the Doctor. 

"How is he?" Rose asked, and Jhutsu shrugged.

"No changes I can see."

"Good," she said, sitting at the head of the bed and reaching up to flick his hair back. "…I suppose so, anyway."

"It's strange watching him sleep. He looks so peaceful."

Rose laughed half-heartedly. "You're tellin' me."

He paused for a moment, finally lifting his head to meet her gaze. "Y'know, they say if you talk to people in a coma they can still hear you."

Rose secured the oxygen mask on his face, watching the steady intakes of air the Doctor took as his chest rose and fell beneath the covers. He was pale; red rings around his bruised eyes, sweat spread out across his hairline. She didn't answer Jhutsu.

"I'll go see Jack," Jhutsu suddenly said, pushing himself onto two feet and making towards the door even though he had no idea what was happening on-board the TARDIS. "Console Room, is he?"

Rose shook her head automatically, still looking down at the Doctor. "Labs, fifteenth door on the left."

Jhutsu paused for a moment, taking in this information before giving a weak smile, and stepping through the exit.

Rose was still staring at the Doctor.

Gently she reached up her hand and rested it on his unmoving one, giving it a quick squeeze. Well, there was no harm in trying, surely?

"Okay, well…" She cleared her throat, suddenly nervous for no apparent reason. "It's Rose. I guess. I don't even know if you can hear me but I'm kinda hopin' you can't, coz I'll probably end up sayin' a few things that I'll regret later. So…here goes:

"Get better. You can fight this, I know you can. You're the Doctor – my Superman – and I can't watch you die like this, in such a pathetic way. I mean, gettin' killed by the antidote when you've lived through the poison? That's just low. So listen to me. You can survive this. I know you can. You've just gotta hold on and get better, so we can get back to the Universe together, with Jack too."

She slid her hand slowly down to his wrist, grasping it in her clutch. She lifted it and pressed it against her cheek, somehow reassured by the feeling.

"I'm not just gonna sit here and accept your death, no way. You can't do that to me, not after everythin' we've done. Just…stay here. We'll take care of everythin' else. Y'know, if you were awake you'd probably be laughin' at me now." She gave him a weak smile. "…I wish you would. I miss you." Slowly she leant forward, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek before drawing away and looking back down to his impassive facial features. "…I love you."

After a few silent moments Rose just sighed and got onto two feet, turning around and heading towards the far door.

"I love you too, Rose."

Rose stopped dead in her tracks. Slowly, she turned back to the Doctor…and stared.

"Doctor?" she whispered, staring straight into his half-open eyes, heavy with fatigue.

"I probably should've told you a long time ago." He smiled, weakly. "I'm a bit of a coward, me."

"…I'm sorry," she suddenly said, eyes disconnecting from his sore two.

"No, I'm sorry. I've been nothing but useless and I know it. I'm surprised you've stuck with me this long."

"You make it sound like you're a chore."

"But I am," he sighed, feeling his lungs burning inside him with his exhaled breath. "I won't be able to do anything for myself for a few days, I might not even remember this conversation tomorrow. But never mind me, what are you doing with the antidote?"

Rose walked back over to him, dropping onto the bed and running a hand through his hair again. She seemed to like his hair. "That hologram thing of yours appeared, it's tellin' Jack how to turn it into radiowaves so we can clean Zodonia, and it'll spread to cure everyone."

He raised a small smile. "Brilliant. Thank you Rose," he said closing his eyes. Rose went to reply – but realised he was already asleep.

* * *

**A/N:** Usually by the time I post this chapter I've completed the next, but at moment I haven't :P Here's a little of what I HAVE written... 

_Chapter 24 – Unnamed_

_"Never mind," she said with a laugh, squeezing his hand gently. "Are you back for good now?"_

_ "Dunno. My head's really scrambled…scrambled eggs! Y'know, it's been ages since we had scrambled eggs Rose…" Jack and Rose both rolled their eyes and the Doctor took off the oxygen mask, pushing himself up to get onto two feet. "We should get some after this!"_


	25. The Air That I Breathe

**A/N: _The Air That I Breathe – All That Remains_**

Incase anyone wondered, Soliciumfrankolithicmixyalebidiumrixydixydoxydexydroxide was the substance in Red Dwarf in Only The Good... So "big up" to "da Naylor" for inventing the wonderfully long and confusing name :D

Next chapter's the last one! This one's double the length of a nromal one, but I didn't wanna split it up.Oh, if you're eating anything right now be warned the last bit's quite gross...

* * *

Chapter 24 – The Air That I Breathe

Two days passed ever so slowly.

Rose visited the Doctor as often as she could, wishing and hoping for him to wake up again but somehow her wishes not being enough. He remained comatose for two straight days; completely unresponsive to anything they did or said. He wouldn't eat anything when they tried to feed him, or even drink.

Meanwhile, Jack worked on the solution with the hologram's guidance. Rose was back in the Infirmary when Jack finally marched in triumphant, clutching a small bottle of sparkling clear liquid high in the air.

"Rose! I got it!"

Rose turned and flashed a toothy smile as he took the seat next to her.

"We can cure everyone!" He beamed. "Just wish he was around to see it."

"He will be," Rose assured Jack with a confident smile. "He promised me. After he regenerated he promised me he wouldn't let go again without a fight."

"Plus I kind of like this body anyway," the Doctor suddenly said from the bed and Rose nearly jumped out of her skin. "I mean, the hair's too messy and the mole's beginning to annoy me but it's good, I like it."

"Can you stop _doin' _that?!" Rose demanded, restraining herself from hitting him. He just grinned, eyes opening and staring up at her innocently.

"Doing what?" he asked, bewildered.

She watched him for a moment. Was this genuine? Did he not remember waking up before? "Never mind," she said with a laugh, squeezing his hand gently. "Are you back for good now?"

"Dunno. My head's really scrambled…scrambled eggs! Y'know, it's been ages since we had scrambled eggs Rose…" Jack and Rose both rolled their eyes and the Doctor took off the oxygen mask, pushing himself up to get onto two feet. "We should get some after this!"

"After what? You're not goin' anywhere, d'you _know _how sick you've been?" Rose asked, infuriated but still helping him up all the same. "You shouldn't be runnin' around right now…"

"But then I wouldn't be me!" he insisted, detaching himself from the machines carefully. "Healing comas are long and dull. Need to stretch my legs…and what could be better then healing the Universe?" He pushed himself up using Rose as a leaning post temporarily before pulling away onto two feet, and grinning even more. "See? I'm in perfect health."

"And we've all heard that before," Jack added loudly, just waiting for him to collapse again. "I predict ten minutes, tops."

"Then I shall prove you wrong, Harkness!" he bellowed, before walking straight into a wall.

* * *

"Are we ready?" 

Rose, Jack, Jhutsu and Amrok all nodded sharply, eyeing the bottle of substance the Doctor clutched between thumb and forefinger filled with a clear, slightly sparkling liquid.

The Doctor slowly set the bottle down onto a flat surface of the console, wiring it into the machinery for the TARDIS to analyse. She issued a series of beeps for a few moments, before the Doctor rested his eyes on the monitor where a mess of his language appeared, tapping a few times at the buttons.

"Soliciumfrankolithicmixyalebidiumrixydixydoxydexydroxide?" Jhutsu asked, reading off of the piece of paper set next to the bottle.

The Doctor nodded. "Soliciumfrankolithicmixyalebidiumrixydixydoxydexydroxide," he reeled off without fault. Rose sighed, loudly.

"Am I the only one who can't say that?" she bemoaned.

"What, Soliciumfrankolithicmixyalebidiumrixydixydoxydexydroxide?" Jack grinned.

"Soliciumfrankolithicmixyalebidiumrixydixydoxydexydroxide…tious!" the Doctor burst into song, "if you say it loud enough you'll-" She hit the Doctor on the right arm scoldingly, issuing a gasp of pain.

"Sorry!" she said with a smile, her 'innocent face' stuck firmly on. He glared at her, though couldn't help but laugh halfway through.

"Scrambled eggs," he reminded her. "With lots of cheese."

"Cheddar?"

"Cheddar from Cheddar." He suddenly brightened once more. "Cheddar Gorge! I love it there. I went with you Rose, didn't I? Remember the caves? Fantastic! Though you do get that annoying guide thing with the proper Devonshire farmer accent on it trying to act as though he was the person who discovered the cave when he was infact _not, _but I suppose it's all relative…"

Jhutsu and Amrok were staring at him, completely lost. Jack and Rose however were grinning, Rose intertwining her hand with his.

"…And then we saw Gandalf! And this wasn't the _plastic _statue, oh no. He was having trouble trying to banish the goblins which tried to attack Rose and me, _plus_ my leg almost got chopped off by the metal gate before a _dragon _came bounding outta nowhere demanding we give his crystal back! But then it turned out all it wanted the crystal for was a disco so we started up the lights and threw a party…although that may have been a dream," he finished, smiling down at Rose next to him before he suddenly frowned, looking to the sky. "…My shoulder hurts," he stated bluntly.

"That could be somethin' to do with fallin' off of a buildin'?" Rose suggested, wondering if it was still in his memories.

His eyebrows lowered. "Could be. Could also be something to do with playing Monopoly or getting hit by your mum's handbag…but I suppose there's no way of really telling, is there?"

He obviously didn't remember.

"Though I wouldn't put it past your mum, Rose. That slap actually _hurt!_I hope it doesn't run in the family. That's a weapon of mass destruction you've got in your genes, y'know."

"You really _are_ feeling alright, aren't you?" Jhutsu asked, genuinely surprised. The Doctor just beamed back.

"Yup!" he declared, popping the 'p'. "And y'know what would make me feel even better? This!" He raised a hand over a green button on the console, slamming his palm down on it.

Nothing happened.

"I think it's broken…" Rose commented after a brief moment of silence, earning herself an incredulous stare from the Doctor.

"What were you expecting? An explosion?" He rolled his eyes. "Humans! Always over exaggerating things. Take a look for yourself." He pointed at the monitor, and Rose leant forward to see the scene infront of her.

She gasped.

People originally bustling about the city centres now were stopping, sniffing the air. Their previously drawn out and heavy expressions were somehow instantaneously lifted, looking up in the air in amazement.

"They're breathing it in," the Doctor was saying, "it's taking hold of the poison, getting rid of it. Soon everything'll and everyone'll be totally cured. Except of course, two people."

Rose frowned. "Who?"

The Doctor simply inclined a nod at Jhutsu still standing next to them, staring at the sight on the monitor. He looked up, confused.

"Hmm?" he asked, clearly having not been paying attention as suddenly he found everyone staring at him.

"He'll get cured the instant he walks outside. The other person, however…"

"Who?"

The Doctor leant back on the Console, arms folded with a grin in place.

"Whilst we were talking about cheese I got the TARDIS to locate Жemnas from the tracker I put onto him, then sent the location to the Zodonian authorities. They were on him within seconds, he was totally sealed up by the time I hit the button. So, we ready to go have a little chitchat with your father, Amrok?"

He grabbed the antidote from the TARDIS console, before reaching into one of the TARDIS drawers and grabbing another vial to deposit into his pocket, though the movement was too quick for Rose to distinguish what it was. He bounded over to his coat hanging from the usual support strut, throwing it on before tearing straight out the door, his companions in tow.

"What are you going to do to him?" Amrok asked suddenly as they walked across the crowded Zodonian street, heading towards the mental hospital opposite.

"I'm going to give him a choice," he answered straight, suddenly his mood turning a whole lot darker than it was but a mere ten seconds ago. "We'll see if he's intelligent enough to make the right one."

Then he suddenly brightened again, pointing at the sectioned off piece of reception covered by a sea shattered, bloodstained glass.

"Wow, that must have hurt," he thought aloud, but a warning glance from Jack told Rose to shut up.

"I'll bet it did," Jack said casually as Rose subliminally took the Doctor's hand on her own, comforted by the touch. They passed the reception without even a flash of psychic paper. Soon they were inside the lift, descending to the underground.

Silently the Doctor moved down the familiar plain white corridor, not even entering the room at the end. He just stood outside, staring in through the clear glass window to the alien sat curled up in the corner, staring at the floor.

"Жemnas. We need to talk."

"Doctor," his voice came through a speaker in the top right corner, not even bothering to look up.

"I can forgive you for what you did to me, though I'm not so sure if anyone could forgive you for what you were planning to do to the population of this planet," he spoke lowly and sincerely like a displeased parent to a disobedient child, his jaw set.

"What does it matter now, anyway? I was betrayed…" His head suddenly snapped up to meet Amrok's gaze, eyes full of fury and hate. Amrok shrank back in fear and guilt. "…By my own son."

"What he did was right," the Doctor countered, "he worked against your plans for the extinction of this world, and for that he is a better person than you." The Doctor leant back against the sidewall casually, arms folded. "Now, I know for a fact you're infected having never had a cure, and guess what I have here?" He reached into his right pocket, bringing out two vials – one with the clear sparkling liquid, the other with the harsh, deep blue and vulgar looking liquid the Doctor had previously been throwing up. "The antidote, _and _the poison."

Жemnas opened his mouth to speak but the Doctor cut straight over him:

"Now, I didn't want it to come to this but you've pushed me too far this time. You're infected, and no one will visit you in your cell again within the time it takes to kill you. You have a life sentence with no chance of appeal and really you're going to have to accept the fact that you're nothing now. No one will either know nor care what happens to you."

Rose watched him carefully as he raised both vials and placed them in a metal compartment leading through the wall and into Жemnas' cell. He waved the Sonic for a moment and the drawer beeped politely, whizzing through the wall to the cell inside. Жemnas drew up to his full height, edging forwards to see the liquids closer.

"Antidote, as you may well already know, is the chemical that administers a sufficient amount of good antibodies into your system to combat a toxin, so it will cure you. However, a poison is a toxin; it can inflict damage, illness or death to organisms and in a heavy enough dose it needs to be stopped; taking this particular one in an extremely heavy dose will kill you in minutes. You always have a choice. I have one question for you, but it is very, very simple. Would you like the antidote, or the poison?"

"I will not let you have the satisfaction of curing me Doctor," Жemnas spat in reply, staring between the vials, "I would rather die."

"As I said, you have a choice Жemnas. I'm not forcing anything upon you. You have the both of them there – choose what you wish."

"Then my choice is to die," he said, reaching forward towards the vial of blue substance.

"Father," Amrok suddenly started, starting forward towards the pane of reinforced glass to try and talk sense into the man. "Please, take the antidote."

"I will not be saved by the Doctor, and never will be."

"Please, you've got to." His voice cracked as he forced the words out, "I love you."

Жemnas' eyes widened, incredulous. "And who are you to love me?"

Amrok was crying now, but was still strong enough to meet his father's gaze.

"I'm your son."

Жemnas' expression didn't change. "I have no son," he said simply, before raising the poison to his lips, and taking the death substance in.

"No!" Amrok yelled instantly, hand flying up to the glass as Жemnas began to thrash around as though he had something inside him, fighting to get out. His face was contorted in utter agony, his skin bubbling and boiling as though it was lava. The Doctor grabbed Rose and hugged her tight, pressing her head into his chest to stop her from seeing the sight that was about to happen…

The screaming intensified as suddenly Rose heard the sound of torrential rain crashing down onto the floor, and although she knew it wasn't rain she found herself unwilling to imagine the correct scenario currently playing out in that room.

Then something exploded, and several loud thuds of heavy objects hitting barriers rang out accompanied with a loud smash. Something heavy hit her leg, and she screamed in alarm, eyelids shut tight firmly to deny herself that inkling of curiosity trying to get her to look. If the Doctor warned you not to look at something, you generally didn't look at it.

All was silent.

"Jhutsu, take Rose back to the TARDIS right now," the Doctor commanded, and Jhutsu quickly obeyed, having been looking away too. The Doctor and Jack remained perfectly still, staring transfixed at the blood pit before them and waiting for the sound of the lift to ascend.

It zoomed away, and only then did Jack submit to his stomach's needs and proceed to vomit all over the carpet. The Doctor moved forward ever so slightly, feeling blood all over his face, clothes and hair. He stepped over the half-head no longer attached to a body towards the motionless Amrok, kneeling down beside his cut up body and checking for any signs of life. Finding none, he reached up to the back of Amrok's head and drew out the large chunk of glass lodged through his brain with a squelch.

Jack was coughing, holding up a hand to his mouth to try and clean it. Only once before had he seen body parts littering the floor like this – and that was when someone had stepped on a mine in the First World War, right infront of him.

After a few moments the Doctor dropped the shard of glass and turned back towards the lift.

"Let's go."

* * *

**A/N:** Kinda...uncompleted

_Chapter 25 –Unnamed _

_"Well Jhutsu," the Doctor said hurriedly, giving a firm shake by the hand and a charismatic grin. "Looks like we'd better be off then, have fun, don't do anything I wouldn't do and try not to allow rampaging psycho murders into your gaming complex, it's not good for business you know." _

_"Yes," Jhutsu replied in 'default mode', still entranced by the large splatters of blood all over the Doctor. "Thank you," he added quickly._


	26. Shine

**A/N: _Shine – Take That _**coz it's a nice song that just says 'The End'! It was also on the Smith and Jones confidential if I remember rightly...and who am I to argue with the Confidential? I was tempted to use "Thanks For The Memories" but then I just mega-groaned and used a funkier song.

Last chapter! Couldn't think of an ending. Hope I did it justice :-/

* * *

Chapter 25 – Shine

"Take care, alright?" Rose was saying as they stood outside the TARDIS, giving Jhutsu a radiant smile. "We'll come back and see you soon."

"I hope so," he replied, returning the smile. "Good luck Rose, Jack, Doctor." He cast a glance over to the latter, who seemed to be fidgeting slightly.

"Well Jhutsu," the Doctor said hurriedly, giving a firm shake by the hand and a charismatic grin. "Looks like we'd better be off then, have fun, don't do anything I wouldn't do and _try _not to allow rampaging psycho murders into your gaming complex, it's not good for business you know."

"Yes," Jhutsu replied in 'default mode', still entranced by the large splatters of blood all over the Doctor. "Thank you," he added quickly.

The Doctor nodded, grabbing Rose and Jack by the collars and roughly pulling them in through the TARDIS doors, obviously eager to be off. Rose and Jack both waved at Jhutsu, both just as confused as him about the Doctor's sudden burst to hasten.

"Bye Jhutsu!" Rose managed to yell before the TARDIS doors slammed shut and the TARDIS light immediately began to flash, the image of the TARDIS pulsating in and out of existence before fading to nothing.

Jhutsu slowly turned back towards the mental hospital now sectioned off even more than before for police investigation, wondering how on Zodonia he was going to explain all this.

* * *

"Right Rose, Jack, we haven't gone much time, we gotta get going!" the Doctor was saying quickly, dashing around the console still covered in blood. 

"Shouldn't we try to clean up first?" Rose asked, purposefully eyeing the red footprints the Doctor and Jack were leaving in their wake.

"Nope!" he answered immediately, bouncing around. "No time! Well, not for me, anyway. For you, yes, but not for me!"

"Doctor…" Jack started towards him, resting a hand on his shoulder to stop him moving as he addressed him in a slow, patronising voice, "you're…makin'…no…sense…"

"There's not enough _time _to make sense Jack m'boy!" the Doctor replied quickly, grabbing the handbrake and wrenching it down, sending all three of them tumbling into a heap as the TARDIS lurched into action. "We're going back to see your mother, Rose! About time we said hi, reckon _she'd_ have any scrambled eggs?"

"Why don't you have enough time?" Rose demanded to know, before pausing, frowning, and then becoming immensely confused. "Hold on, we're goin' back to see my mum?!"

"Yuppers!" he answered quickly following the phrase Rose thought she'd never hear him say. The Doctor felt the momentum of a landing and dashed over to the TARDIS support strut, grabbing his coat and throwing it over himself despite the fact it was covered in even more blood. He bolted out the door, almost running straight into Jackie Tyler storming the other way.

"Hi Jackie!" he said brightly, giving her a huge hug in a moment of pure delirium. "Had to hurry before my muscles went dead!" He felt his legs weaken beneath him. "Whoops, there I go…"

He collapsed onto the floor, blinking at Jackie's slippers.

Rose came out of the TARDIS next, stepping over his body before turning and kneeling down on the carpet infront of him.

"You all right?" she asked, unsuccessfully trying to hide a snigger.

"Yeah I'm fine…" he muttered into the carpet, "could you err…help me up a sec?"

Rose rolled her eyes, slipping her arms beneath his armpits and dragging him across the living room, grunting as she hauled him onto the sofa.

"Anything else, sire?"

He raised a smile. "Say, you couldn't get me a cuppa, could you?"

"You're askin' for a slap, you are," she said, trying to hold her sincerity but ended up laughing. "Why don't you just _rest_ for a bit? You do know what that is, don't you?"

"Is rest the thing that's really boring and you sit there doing nothing?" he asked vaguely, and she nodded.

"Yeah. Now do it, since you can't move to clean yourself up. Unless you'd prefer my mum to do it for you."

The Doctor's eyes widened, horrified. "I'll rest!"

* * *

Jack and Rose had just finished telling their tale (Rose purposely neglecting to mention her semi-pregnancy) to Jackie before the Doctor awoke. Rose rushed over to him as his eyes flickered open, looking a little more than confused. 

"Why am I on the sofa?"

Rose frowned. "Huh?" she asked, but he was too busy checking himself over to look up at her.

"I'm covered in blood. It's not mine, is it?"

Rose was staring at him. "You don't remember?"

"Remember what?" he said, looking up at her, bewildered.

Jack quickly moved forward. "Don't you remember Doc? The…" – he struggled for a alien legend – "…Draconians turned nasty and knocked you out."

"Really? They were such a lovely bunch though." The Doctor pushed himself up to sitting position, holding his head. "That would explain the headache, though." He suddenly stopped, frowning and looking up at Jack as if he'd only just noticed him. "Hi Jack. When did you get back?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Sorry, head's hurting a bit. How did you two get back to the flat?"

"TARDIS took us here. Some kind of emergency programme," Rose immediately supplied. He nodded.

"Recorded so many have no idea what I've done anymore. Oh well. Are the Draconians sorted?"

"Completely."

"Good, good." He got onto his feet, centring himself. "Can I use your bathroom Jackie? Don't wanna wander time and space covered in blood after all."

"Sure sweetheart, you get yourself a shower. Leave your clothes outside the door; I'll get 'em washed for ya."

He blinked.

"I'll make you a nice cuppa tea aswell…" She got up, making towards the kitchen. "Fancy a bite to eat?"

The Doctor blinked again. Was this a trick question? Moments passed before he realised he was staring blankly at her. Oh Rassilon. What was he supposed to say? If he answered yes she might skewer him for daring to use her for his needs, yet if he said no maybe she'd take offence that he didn't like her offers of hospitality…

"Err…" he stammered, trying to find a neutral answer. "Maybe…?"

She sighed, swotting him over the head as she passed through to the kitchen. "A simple 'yes' would've done!"

The Doctor stared after her for a moment, before turning back to Rose and Jack and frowning.

"She's actually doing it? Did I die?"

"You did a lot of things, but you didn't die," Rose said as she got onto her feet, resting her hands on his shoulders and guiding him towards the bathroom.

"Hmm, really?" he asked, oblivious to the fact she was pushing him along. "Like what?"

"Doesn't matter, now get in the shower already!" Rose pushed him in through the doorway and pulled the door shut.

"But I don't have a change of clothes!" he complained from inside the room.

"Well that's your problem!" she replied before the Doctor heard her light footsteps pad away from the room.

"He really doesn't remember, does he?" he heard Rose say to Jack, and he sighed quietly, leaning against the bathroom door.

He remembered. Of course he remembered. How could he possibly forget? For one night he had learnt to love, and for a few days – just a few – he had been a father. Of course he knew it would soon be gone, but he had allowed himself to dream…just for a moment. It had been nice to pretend, but pretending wasn't his preference. Sometimes you just had to learn to accept it. He could never have another family whether he wanted to or not, not because he was no longer fertile, but rather because he knew he wouldn't be able to handle the loss again.

So for the sake of both Rose and himself, he would play the Pretender once more.

* * *

Jackie was the first to look up as the Doctor tried to subliminally pass through the Living Room with a towel wrapped around his midriff. She smiled at him – before smiling at his chest, then his chest hair, then his abdomen, and then his legs. Then her gaze began to lift up his legs slightly, and the Doctor moved quickly to the TARDIS and in through the double blue doors. By the time he was fully dressed and dry Jackie had finished making dinner and he stepped out of the TARDIS to find the three munching on…was that scrambled eggs on toast? 

"Hey! Where's mine?" the Doctor demanded to know, grabbing Rose's plate instead from out of her grip and shoving everything into his mouth.

"That's mine!" Rose complained, pulling it back out of his grip.

"Is not!" He pulled it back.

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

The plate went flying and Rose watched it soar away, landing conveniently in Jackie's lap. Her face morphed into anger as the Doctor suddenly paled, making to get up and run as Jackie advanced towards him menacingly with her hand raised. Rose deliberately pinned him to the sofa before he managed to get free, tripping right over her and smacking his head on the desk.

He crippled, and lay still.

It took Rose a moment to realise what had happened before she launched onto her feet, dropping down next to the Doctor and shaking his shoulders roughly.

"I'm so sorry Doctor! Wake up, _please _wake up!"

But he remained motionless, and although Jack had been laughing he seemed to now fade out, staring at the unconscious Time Lord.

"Jack he isn't breathin'!" Rose yelled hysterically, shaking the Doctor even harder. What if he had had a relapse? He said he was going to be weak for a few days…had the hit on the head been too much? Had all of the pain, suffer and worry been for nothing?

Playing the heroine, she pinched his nose and tilted his head back a bit, taking a deep breath. She pressed her lips to his and breathed out, forcing air into his lungs. She did it again, and then reverted to the chest compressions. He wasn't reacting.

"Jack! Help him!"

She slapped him lightly on each cheek, trying to bring him back. But as his head lolled about uselessly it began to dawn on Rose…there was no coming back from this one.

"Jack…" she gasped, feeling the tears behind closed eyelids. "…He's dead."

"RARGGH!!" the Doctor suddenly yelled from the floor and launched up to sitting position, grabbing her around the neck as she screamed in complete shock. He was almost hyperventilating with laughter as she pushed him roughly back down onto the floor, hands on hips.

"You bastard!" she yelled, raising a hand and fighting the overwhelming urge to slap him right across the face. His laughing only ceased when Jackie moved towards him and without the hesitation her daughter had displayed, brought her palm down against his cheek with a loud 'crack'.

Next thing he knew Jack was looming over him, complete with a jug of orange juice and his own plate of uneaten scrambled eggs. The Doctor tried to move but found himself pinned to the floor by Rose, so he could only watch helpless as Jack poured everything over his face.

"Good to have you back, Doctor!" Jack grinned down at the wet and egg-faced Doctor, who just smiled casually in return.

"It's good to be back!"

* * *

Jhutsu was finding the running of the Tyler Gaming Complex difficult without Amrok's presence. Amrok had always been the one to sort things out, and now he was gone Jhutsu was beginning to realise exactly how much he had relied on him. 

Still, with Жemnas now gone Zodonia was back to how it always was. 'The Room' had been demolished, and Jhutsu had personally elected to go back to the old ways of gaming. This modern lark was far too realistic for his liking.

He leant back against the blanket stretched out onto the lawn, swirling his cup of T'lore around thoughtfully. He missed Rose and the Doctor, plus their new friend Jack. He wondered if he'd ever see them again.

Looking up at the ceiling and to the stars beyond his own, he knew he'd become a better person because of them. He'd saved a few lives. That would surely earn him some brownie points when the final judgement came in his afterlife.

He let his mind wander as he stared into the night sky, eyes glazing over when imagination took hold. He wondered, just wondered if his parents could see him now…and if they were proud.

Because let's face it – he was now alone in the Universe. The Gods above had taken everyone close to him without mercy…maybe he should've asked the go with the Doctor instead of staying here, clearing up the mess.

"Excuse me sir?"

It was a girl's voice, one he didn't recognise. He turned on the blanket to see a thin, ragged-clothed yet pretty young girl standing staring at him from a few metres away, her expression as if unable to grasp the idea of his presence.

"Can I help you?" he asked politely.

"Do you know a man named Jhutsu Porther?"

Jhutsu nodded. "That's me, who are you?"

She paused for a moment, just staring into his eyes. "…I'm your sister."

Jhutsu became involuntarily rigid with shock. "I-I'm sorry?"

"I come with a message from Gerok and Francia Porther. They're coming to see you."

"…What?! But…but…they're dead! And I don't have a sister!" Jhutsu managed to say as the cup of T'lore fell from his slackened grip onto the grass.

"My name is Dayna Porther, I was born five months after you left. Mother and father told me to tell you that they're expecting to see that big house you promised them."

Jhutsu's blank expression slowly began to turn into a smile, one of joy and release.

"They're alive. You're all alive."

He gathered her into a huge brotherly hug with tears of undivided joy, completely changed from the man sitting on the blanket but a minute ago.

Okay, so maybe the Gods weren't _that_ bad.

**The End**

* * *

**A/N: **Don't say the word 'sequel' coz I'll cry. I have nothing by way of sequels in my head. My plan so far is to finish the Ramble then think about doing something else...anyone who says sequel shalt be THROWN IN THE DEPTHS OF HELL FOR ALL ETERNITY!!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! (Ahem)

So, do review and tell me what you thought!

RDA


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